The ABC's of Bringing Your Beverage Home

To appreciate the wonders of wine, food is not necessary. Though Chef Tony from Dubrulle cooking school says one would never think of having a glass without eats in Italy. The major stumbling block to overcome in wine tasting is not trusting your own taste. And, not experimenting enough. Tastes are a learned experience - something acquired over time.

Use your nose when sizing up the true flavours of a goblet. Bouquets are easily half of the qualifying. They tell you the grade and quality. Holding the stem of the glass, gently swirl to release aromas. A couple of short sniffs before it meets your lips will do nicely. Even those of us with a poor sense of smell can detect around 3,000 aromas. Others with hunting dog noses whiff about 9,000.

Bouquets or aromas are divided into categories. Whites have floral odors of violet, rose, lilac, chamomile or citrus notes of banana, mango, apple, pear or lychee. Some whites are noted for their scents of grass or cats' pee. Reds lean towards earthy flavours of mushrooms, truffles and the forest. Like a time machine, reds take you back to fields of fruit with cherry, blackberry, plum and raspberry. Or even chocolate, cinnamon and black licorice. Wines can have cigar inclinations, or be reminiscent of smoky bonfires.

Save yourself money when buying wine by using your tastes buds and not the label to purchase. Taste is obvious in four ways: Bitterness, Sweetness, Saltiness and Sourness. We are not concerned with Saltiness in wine.

Sweetness is tasted on the tip of your tongue. Sourness is from the acidity of wine. It is savored on the sides and back of the tongue. Sourness is detected after sweetness. Strong acidity makes the mouth water and wines without it will be flat and unappealing. For example, if you would consider squeezing lemon on a dish of fish or couscous, then you want to match with a wine that has a higher sour or acidity content.

Bitterness is tasted at the back of the tongue. Tannins found in red wine will register as bitter and give a drying sensation to your gums and tongue. Red meats or foods high in protein and fat like cheese and buttery sauces will soften the effect of tannin on the mouth. Tannins are derived from the skin of the grape and the wood barrels.

Match the weight or body of the wine with the food. Body is determined by the feeling of wine in your mouth. Is it a thin feeling or a full? Try to keep the wine from over powering the food and vice versa. Riesling is often lighter than Chardonnay or Gewürztraminer. Pinot Noir is lighter than Cabernet.

Incorporate flavour bridges into your meals. If you are making a cherry, plum or raspberry flavoured sauce, try matching it with a bottle of Merlot - a wine that is a softer, less tannic. A black olive or tomato sauce, heartier stuff, and the bridge might be a robust or bigger flavour like Cabernet Sauvignon. Serve your guests the same wine you use to cook. Other flavour bridges can be walnuts or almonds in a salad and then again in the dessert. Or serve a soup with lemon or ginger and then a sauce on the chicken or fish with the same ingredients.

Because you can cook fish a variety of ways and present it with an assortment of accompaniments, any kind of wine can be served. Determine where the predominant taste is. Is it in the fish or the accompanying sauces or side dishes?

Oily fish like mackerel or sardines because of their fat content match with Zinfandel or a Beaujolais Nouveau. Meaty fish like sea bass and tuna go great with oaked Chardonnays, Syrah, Merlots and Pinot Noirs. Crab, lobster, scallops and mussels pair well with Sauvignon Blanc or Chablis. Chablis is comparable to unoaked Chardonnay.

The finish determines wine quality. Finish is the aftertaste. A long remaining aftertaste suggests it will last well in the bottle.

The aim in tasting wine is not to find some flavours, but let your instincts and taste buds guide you to describe in your own words what you hit upon in the glass. Snobbery aside, having wine at your table can become as easy as buying and breaking bread.