Red Wine 101 Helps you Taste Like a Pro.

Red wine 101 is here for everyone who loves red wine, but does not have the time know everything.

Through classes and experience I have gathered the many red wine flavor terms used and I made them easy to understand.

This is a rare in-depth red wine glossary Where else can you find everything about red wine on one site? Check out the terms aimed to please and build upon your red wine enjoyment.

Red wine 101 helps makes tasting wine like a pro easy to learn the important steps which can enhance your enjoyment.

1. Find the correct red wine - The correct red wine is the one you enjoy. I suggest looking for value red wines. You do not have to pay over $20.00 for a good red wine. Check out some of the reviews on this site to point you to my recommendations. I have enjoyed many wines over $60.00 a bottle (real price not restaurant mark-up). It is hard for me to say it but many are not worth the price. Many are marketed to make you want the expensive bottle because you will believe it is a better bottle, and many of us will buy it hook line and sinker. I know you will find extremely good to great bottles of red wine from $10.00 to $30.00. Check out Cheap red wines to see some reviews of great cheap red wines that I know you will enjoy.

2. Use the correct red wine glass - Yes the type of red wine glass you sip from makes a difference. The shape of the glass makes a difference. Try it for yourself. Line up multiple shapes glasses filled with the same amount of red wine, from the same bottle. You will taste the difference. Check out the red wine glasses in my gift shop. I strongly recommend Reidel. This company truly believes that glass shape has a positive impact on your red wine tasting enjoyment.

3. Pour the perfect amount - It is strongly recommended to pour about 2 inches of red wine into the glass. This allows for equal oxygenation or decanting of the wine. It also allows for one to gain a full bouquet when drawing the flavor through the opening of the glass. This also allows for more glasses to be poured for many friends to enjoy one bottle. Of course buy plenty of bottles to make the night more enjoyable.

4. The day you taste - That is correct the day you taste a wine can make a huge difference in the enjoyment. Following the Farmers Almanac or Lunar Organics does impact the taste of the wine. Taste test this as well. The lunar days are: Root, Leaf, Flower, and Fruit. Try to enjoy your wine on Fruit days. Then on flower days. Leaf days next and root days should be the last day you enjoy red wine. Believe me it makes a big difference. Use a biodynamic calendar to assist with a great tasting day.

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Red Wine 101 will now assist you in tasting wine like a pro.

Try to taste red wine the same way each time, Taste red wine often, and use red wine tasting terms

1.Red Wine 101: Create the Perfect Red Wine Tasting Environment

-Clear the air. Fresh air is important. The less odor, fragrance, and smoke remove obstacles of finding the subtle nuances of red wine.

-Bright with light. Natural light is best and the more you have the easier it is for the the deep red colors to glow.

-White Paper or table will allow for the light to project the colors onto a visible area for viewing.

-Cleanse your palate. Have water and simple crackers nearby to clean the taste receptors in the mouth before each taste or at the very least when moving from one red wine or glass to the next.

-The correct red wine glass or at the very least a large round wine glass. Red wine glasses should be round and deep to allow for the wine to be swirled and a greater amount of oxygen to be captured by the red wine and release the bouquet and enhance the flavors.

-Always have a pen and paper available!! Notes! Notes! Notes! I would recommend covering the table with large rolled white paper. Everyone can view the wine on the white paper (from the light shining through the glass)and take notes at the same time. At the end of the night take the paper with you. Not only is it efficient, nut it can be a perfect reminder of a great time. Picture a large piece of paper with notes scattered with a heading of the great wines you have tasted and then the subtle red wine stains from the perfectly round red wine glass base that collected the sneaky drips as they end their slide down the glass.

-Red wine temperature. The safest temperature for the all red wine is about 56 degrees.

2.Red Wine 101: Find the Color and Clarity

-The color that you see can help one understand the age, grape variety, alcohol level and sweetness.

-Hold your glass of red wine against the white paper at a slight tilt away from you.

-Is the red wine clear clean or dull and hazy? Hazy wine could let you know there is a flaw to the wine. Is there sediment? If sediment is visible than the wine just maybe unfiltered.

-Check out the color. Is the outer rim of the wine a different color than the inner core? A orange or brown rim could be telling you that the wine is aged. Syrah is dark throughout while pinot noir can sometimes be clean enough to see right through.

3.Red Wine 101: Swirl, Swirl, and Swirl some more

-To make it easy rest the glass on the table, hold the stem or bottom of a stemless glass, and move the red wine glass in a smooth quick circular motion. Once you get used to this lift into the air to impress the best. This is a wrist motion.

-Swirling will allow for oxygen to enter the wine and release aromas of the red wine you are about to enjoy.

-Check out how thick the wine is. This is the viscosity of the wine. To see how this wine may coat your tongue what how slowly the wine drips down the side of the glass. These are called wine tears or legs. I have to say their are very few red wine legs that I have seen that I have not loved...

4.Red Wine 101: Sniff, Think, Sniff, Think, Sniff Enjoy

-Most of the flavors you will be tasting are coming in through your nose. Sniff the wine over and over again to pull out the many layers and hundreds of flavors that can be found.

-A higher number of short sniffs are more effective than a couple long sniffs.

-Do you smell wet cardboard or a must basement? if you do the red wine has been corked and the cork is bad and the wine is not going to provide much enjoyment. If you smell sherry it has been sitting out much too long (the bottle of red wine you opened last week and should have finished by now). Open a new bottle to taste and enjoy. These are done.

-Use the flavor term guide to assist or make up your own terms to what you are smelling. Many scents may bring back memories of something you smelled n the past. This is a great way to explain what you smell. Nothing is better than a story to go along with something you smell or taste.

-I like to compare wine to cars, music, and natural settings. Use your imagination. Red wine 101 is fun not snobby or audacious. do not be something your not. Make the wine part of you.

5.Red Wine 101: Savor it!!! Savor it! and Love it!

-Sip the wine. Roll it around in your mouth. Let it coat your tongue. Swish it around. Become a sponge. Take in the feel of the wine on your tongue and the flavors before you spit or swallow. It is okay to spit. It allows you to enjoy more wines and you are able to remember them the next day, but that is why we take notes.

Take Notes

Body of the red wine - Think of the wine as milk. A heavy or full bodied wine will coat your tongue like cream. Medium bodied is whole mild and a light bodied wine will be skim milk.

Acidity - This is key to wine balance. Bitter wine needs to be oxygenated (swirled, aerated, or aged) Low acidity makes for a flat or flabby red wine. This is a great way to see if a wine can age. Higher acidity allows for a bottle to age or needs to age to gain a great balance. If the acidity is very low stop the aging and enjoy today.

Alcohol - Points to the body. Many times a fuller body has more alcohol. Is there an alcohol balance or is the alcohol "hot"

Sweetness - Does the wine taste dry, off dry, sweet or cloying?

Tannin - Is from the grape skins, stems, seeds, and barrels used in fermentation. This can create a drying sensation in the mouth. The feeling can be explained as smooth, green, rough , and ripe.

Finish - the length of time the wine lingers on the tongue. Does the red wine hold onto the tongue or drop off?

6.Red Wine 101: Rate Your Wine! That is right you can rate wine too

Complexity - Simple or Busy (lots of flavors aromas, and mouth goes crazy)

Balance - Did the wine attributes (body, acidity, sweetness, alcohol, tannin. and finish) work well together or was it all over the place.

Maturity - Can you drink the wine now? should you wait 1 hour, or 5 years? Is the wine past its prime and it would have been enjoyed more a few years ago?

Quality - Is this a wine that is equal to its price?

Overall - What is your impression of the wine? Did you enjoy it. What are your likes and dislikes? What type of food did you have the wine with> Should it have been a different food?

Red Wine 101 has helped make you a red wine tasting SUPERSTAR!! Enjoy red wine to the fullest

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Go to the Red Wine Glossary

Go to the Red Wine Flavor or Tasting Terms

Look at the ready to pick cluster of red wine grapes. It was a beautiful day when I took this picture.

When it comes to discussing wine with friends and family it is easy to impress anyone that is a true beginner. Red wine 101 can assist anyone looking to enjoy red wine.

Using simple terms and being able to define them adds to your pleasure and makes others excited to listen, learn, and ENJOY.

red wine glossary is filled with words like tears, legs, and body. I know it sounds like I am talking about a person, but it is about the wine.... sorry.

See what why your glass has red tears...

Red Wine Flavor Allows you to increase your enjoyment of wine with each sip.

When tasting red wine one you will gladly notice there are the five super S's. They are see, swirl, sniff, sip, and savor. Tasting the notes of red wine should be heightened when using the 5 steps. If it does not enhance the wine than at least you can create a conversation around what you are seeing, smelling, tasting notes, and feeling. Hey if you clink glasses you can hear the wine as well...

Red wine 101 provides a simple red wine storage guide for temperatures when planning to house your wines for an extended time. Can you go wrong with the temperature of your red wine storage? Yes. The many wine varieties have specific temperatures that they should maintain when in holding.

The magic temperature is... 56°F

I know you want to know how to make your own red wine, but you don't have the time or the space for your own vineyard. How would you even know when you should pick the perfect grape? The great thing is you can make your own wine very easily.

There are many wine kits for making your own luscious wine, and to be honest they are very easy and the wine is pretty good. Red wine 101 is looking to endorse a wine making kit for all to enjoy. I will let you know when I have the perfect find.

There are many vineyards or wine houses that allow for you to choose the type of grape and they will walk you through the process using their oak or stainless steel barrels. Many will allow you to design your own bottles. This can be a very exciting way to bring your enjoyment of red wine to the next level. Red wine 101 will review and provide you with our recommendations.

It is amazing the how important time, grape, terra type, yeast, oxygen, fermentation, barrel or stainless steal are managed or manipulated to build perfection. Red wine 101 will continue to find info for making the perfect red wine.



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