Touch
After smelling the aroma of a wine, it is logically time to take a sip. But in the split second that the wine touches your mouth, you will perceive its texture first.
The Role of Touch in Wine Tasting
Swirl the wine and then immediately swallow a small sip. After your initial impression, take a slightly larger sip and make an effort to coat your entire mouth. This is called “chewing” the wine.
Tannins will leave a drying sensation while acid will make your mouth water. Smooth, buttery textures indicate malolactic fermentation. Before swallowing, aerate the wine in your mouth. While this makes a slightly strange sound, the enhanced flavors and aromas that it releases will give you more clues to the wine’s body.
The body of a wine includes the depth of flavor, tannins, and alcohol content. Think of body as how much a wine coats the inside of your mouth. The more viscous the wine, the fuller bodied it is. This is why people look at the wines “legs.” By observing much the wine sticks to the side of the glass, you can get a good indication of how much alcohol and body it has.
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