How to Taste Wine Like a Pro

Wine tasting is an interesting conversation subject at parties. While some people are really interested in it and want to learn how to taste wine the proper way, others will simply say 'but I know how to taste wine, I don't need a lesson in it'. In a way it's true, everybody has the knowledge on proper wine tasting, however not everyone actually knows how to apply that knowledge in real life.
Wine tasting is not like drinking water or your favorite juice. There is an art to savoring it in a way that will release its full bouquet in your mouth, making all your taste buds get a unique experience from it. Gulping it down is definitely not the way to go, however I've seen some people do just that during a party. Besides the fact that they wake up the next day with a major headache (aka hangover), they don't get to really enjoy wine the way it's supposed to be enjoyed.
There are really two major components to wine tasting the proper way: drinking it slowly and paying attention to what you are doing, be in then 'here and now' to put it in a Zen way. However before you even get the drink in touch with your tongue, there is another of your senses come into play: your sense of smell. As weird it might sound to some people, smelling it is a major part of actually properly enjoying it.
Another aspect of it is simply looking at the dark liquid in the glass and watching its appearance, the way the light reflects back from the glass, the way the dark red color of the liquid swirls again the crystal clear walls of your glass. Experiencing it this way is a real art.
When you are about to actually taste it, this is how you really go about it: Take a sip and hold it in your mouth without drinking it yet. Draw in a bit of air and let it mix with the wine. Then swish the liquid in your mouth and around it as if you wanted to actually chew it. Finally swallow your drink. You don't need to spend more than a couple of seconds per sip, however this process should really open up your taste buds and give you the many flavors each type has, including a fruity taste, or flowery or earthy or a taste of vanilla. Only a real wine connoisseur can discern all the many aromas of a good year and while it takes some practice, you can get there too and learn how to taste wine the proper way like a pro.
Part of enjoying wine is also letting it breath and get infused by oxygen and this is done through the process of decanting.

by Vaso Johnson