Enjoying wine to the max

The invitingly-cool stemmed glass of Los Cing wine- to the max!arneros Chardonnay from the Benziger wine family stood on the counter at the Waves Restaurant bar, ready for me to photograph and- you’re right, to take a sip. I have so much to learn yet about wines but I found the Chardonnay very fragrant, the type which kind of glides in the mouth and leaves a crisp, lingering flow on your throat. Pleasant, but as I am not a wine drinker, the contents of the glass was enough to produce a warm feeling in my stomach and make me drowsy. Several factors affect the taste of a wine like climate, the grapes and aging process that’s why knowledgeable wine drinkers are very particular about the origin of the wine, says Royal Resort (PRR) Waves bartender Darwin Nisperos. He also said that white wines go with white meats like fish, seafood and chicken, while red wines go with red meats like beef, pork and others. In preparation for the Wine & Cheese event of the Belau Tourism Association at the end of this month, I decided to ask PRR Food and Beverage manager Allan Tuppil to share few tips about wine drinking. We won’t go into technicalities, leave that to the bartenders but here are a few from his tips we can use on how to enjoy wine to the max! “A glass of refreshing wine, savored with openness and sensitivity can turn the simplest occasion into a grand celebration of life,” Tuppil said. Consider using the following test go enjoy your wine.
SIGHT. Hold up your glass against a background like paper or tablecloth to examine the wine’s color, clarity and reflection of light. To reveal its alcohol content, swirl your glass gracefully until the wine dances near the brim. Full-bodied wines trickle in sheet, then stream into droplets called “legs”. Medium-bodied wines descend into smaller legs while light-bodied drinks flow quickly and evenly.
SMELL. Swirl the wine and sniff it for five to 10 seconds to get the aroma. A whiff of fresh grapes is noticeable in young wines. The bouquet denotes more complex scents that remind you of fruits, flowers, spices or herbs.
TASTE. Take a decent sip of the wine, whirl it around in your mouth. Note any hints of sweetness, bitterness or acidity. Inhale some air then swallow. This is to utilize your nasal passages to detect more flavors and character from the wine.
TOUCH. Take another sip, let it linger in your mouth for a while and focus on the wine’s touch. Medium-bodied wines have a fuller touch but not too heavy in texture while full-bodied wines impart a rich and mouth-coating feel. A wine with a clean finish leaves a nice, satisfying aftertaste without unpleasant tastes such as excessive bitterness, sweetness or tartness. As each individual has personal preferences, the bottom line of it is- a good wine is a wine that pleases you. I didn’t have a chance to test my wine. I only read the lessons after but I’m ready for another try. Come on out and enjoy your wine- to the MAX!