Wine & spirits: Taste like a pro

2 Smell (continued)
For most novice tasters, the greatest challenge is not in recognizing scents and odours in wine but in finding the words to describe them. We all know what freshly cut grass smells like, or the thick aroma of rich chocolate, or the slightly irksome reek of rancid butter, but we never expect to find those things in a glass of wine.

Let's start at a basic level. Does the wine smell naturally fruity, floral, spicy, woody, nutty, earthy, vegetal, or chemical and processed? Break down each category. Fruity can mean citrusy, such as lemon, lime, orange or grapefruit. It could be berrylike, which could suggest blackberry, currant, cherry, strawberry or raspberry. Every category can and should be "dissected." The faintest scent of rot, vinegar, mould, sewage or chemicals is a clear indicator a wine is seriously flawed. And it's the main reason that we smell so carefully before we taste.

3 Taste (& touch)
The final test confirms the nose was right. If we've smelled everything there is to smell, then the taste should provide no surprises. Our tongue has only a few talents but performs them exceptionally well. It instantly differentiates sour, sweet, salty and bitter flavours. It recognizes heat that comes from spice as well as from temperature. It's sensitive to texture like nobody's business (ever had a hair on your tongue?). That's it, but with those few assets, it can sense harmony and balance in all the things we taste.