** Look **
You can tell much about
a wine simply by studying its appearance. The wine should be poured
into a clear glass and held in front of a white background (a tablecloth
or piece of paper will serve nicely) so that you can examine the colour.
The colour of wine varies
tremendously, even within the same type of wine. For example, white
wines are not actually white; they range from green to yellow to brown.
More colour in a white wine usually indicates more flavour and age,
although a brown wine may have gone bad. Where as time improves many
red wines, it ruins most white wines. Red wines are not just red; they
range from a pale red to a deep brown red, usually becoming lighter
in colour as they age.
Rim colour: You
can guess the age of a red wine by observing its "rim." Tilt
the glass slightly and look at the edge of the wine. A purple tint may
indicate youth while orange to brown indicates maturity.
Swirling: Swirling the wine serves many purposes, but visually
it allows you to observe the body of the wine. "Good legs"
may indicate a thicker body and a higher alcohol content and/or sweetness
level.
