Don't Forget - Smell That Wine!

Wine is a fascinating business. Every day I learn something new, and everyday I probably forget something that I knew the day before. That's why the world of wine can be very intimidating to some people, especially if they are wine newbies.
The most important thing about wine, obviously, is tasting. Taste and enjoy as many different kinds of wines that you can, and discover the ones that work, and the ones that don't for your palate.
And what is the most critical thing about tasting wine?
Smelling it.
That's right. Put your sniffer to work before every sip. Swirl your wine several times to give it air and then stick your nose right in the glass, just like in the picture below.
What are you smelling? Fruit, oak, mineral, spice, coffee, chocolate, meat and flowers along with many other scents are all positives setting the stage for your tasting experience.
Prune, chemical, medicinal and wet cardboard, for example, are not nearly as appealing, and likely indicate a wine that is flawed - something you would not want to drink.
But you wouldn't know that unless you smelled it.

Tom