Tasting

Pour a glass of wine into a suitable wine glass. Tilt the glass away from you and look at the colour of the wine from the rim edges to the middle of the glass (it's helpful to have a white background). Try think of descriptions beyond red or white. Get creative! See if the wine is watery or of a thicker consistency. Tilt your glass a bit, give it a little swirl - look for any sediment, bits of cork or any other floating bits. An older red wine will often have more orange tinges on the edges of colour than younger red wines. Older white wines are generally darker than younger white wines.

Swirl your glass for a solid 10-12 seconds. This helps to vaporise some of the wine's alcohol and release more of its natural aromas. Take a quick whiff to gain a first impression, then stick your nose down into the glass and inhale deeply. Note your second impressions. Do you smell oak, berry, flowers, vanilla or citrus?