Wine is usually drunk during meals because it complements the taste of what we eat. It is an essential element of the Mediterranean diet, but to Italians wine has always been more than a mere beverage or nutrient. Good wine satisfies the senses with its color and texture, its aromas and flavors, those unique features sometimes referred to as aesthetic or artistic qualities.

Wine also plays a role in social life, since it is habitually consumed in the company of others. When shared around a table, it relaxes us and creates a sense of well-being while inspiring thought and conversation. Its appeal to the senses, combined with the way it inspires the human spirit, have elevated it to noble status. Wine has been an element of civilization for ages in Italy and other European countries, one of the most sacred symbols in the Roman Catholic religion, a daily staple for dynasties of kings as well as generations of peasants... Italians are very proud of their wines heritage, but nobody should feel intimidated by history and tradition. As the following pages will show you, wine understanding and evaluation can be a complex art, but the final judge is always you! Wine experts tend to define characteristics of color, aroma and taste, and to codify such terminology in what might be described as the "universal language of wine". Yet wine appreciation remains a subjective field. The chemical components of wine can be analyzed in minute detail, but judgments of quality and character still rely on sensory evaluation. Each person perceives wine in his own way. As you acquire experience, you will no doubt be influenced by expert opinions, but is wise to remember that you are your own best judge of wine. Evaluating wine involves the senses of sight, smell, taste and touch. Detecting and remembering colors, aromas and flavors is an essential skill in wine tasting. By now some of the terminology has been standardized, but there will always be variations in the way people perceive and describe wine. The first impression of a wine is its appearance to the eye: Color Clarity Fluidity Effervescence (for sparkling wines) It is sometimes said that the eyes are not as important for judging a wine's quality as are the nose or the mouth. But an expert can tell by looking at a wine if it is basically sound - that is, clear, bright and free of sediment - or if it has defects that will be confirmed by smelling and tasting. Color After noting the primary color - red, white, or rose - points to be considered are the tone, the intensity and the hues within each color category. This is done by filling up a tulip shaped tasting glass until about a third full and holding it by the stem against a white background - a tablecloth or piece of paper. The glass is then tilted so that the wine extends from the depth of the bowl to a thin rim near the top. This brings the various shadings of color into full evidence. Clarity Hold the glass so that you can see through the wine, first against a white background and then against a subdued source of light, such as a window not directly in the sun's rays or a candle or lampshade. Wines reveal degrees of clarity, ranging from bright to normally limpid to dull or murky. Clarity is mainly an indication of quality if the wine is at its prime, meaning that it has been in bottle for a reasonable time after any wood aging, filtering or stabilization processes. Commercial wine, whatever its category, should be clear, perfectly transparent and free of deposits or suspended particles. Any sign of cloudiness indicates defects. If it is so murky or dense that you can't see through it, it is definitely not drinkable Fluidity To judge a wine's basic texture and viscosity, rotate the glass so that the wine swirls around it. As the liquid settles along the sides, it will leave what are known as "legs" or "tears", arches that will be more numerous and remain longer in a heavy wine than a thin one. The understanding of a wine's weight and texture should then Effervescence The effervescence evaluation applies only to bubbly wines, which for this purpose are divided in two main categories: a frizzante wine - sometimes also called vivace or brioso - has light to moderate effervescence (from 1.5 to 2 grams per liter of carbon dioxide), while a spumante (from the Italian spuma or foam) is a fully sparkling wine with 3.5 to 6 atmospheres of pressure. The main sign of finesse in sparkling wines is the size and intensity of the carbon-dioxide bubbles that rise from the base of the glass. As a rule, a wine made by the classical method of fermentation in bottle will have small, persistent bubbles that, when rising, form what is known as the bead or perlage. Wines made by tank method usually have larger bubbles. Bubbles in frizzante wines are evident on pouring but often disappear or collect along the sides of the glass. In a good wine with carbon dioxide formed by natural fermentation, they create a pleasant, prickly sensation in the mouth. Bubbles in spumante have more persistence. In the best quality wines made by the classical bottle fermentation method, bubbles are fine and continue to rise in a steady flow. Good tank-fermented spumante should also have relatively small, persistent bubbles. If the bubbles vanish or if they are large, disjointed or seem to hang in suspension, there is probably something wrong with the wine or the glass it is served in. Wine tastes are simpler than smells. They are sensed on the tongue, which, through the taste buds, detects four basic flavors: Sweetness Acidity Saltiness Bitternesss Sweetness It is detected mainly at the tip of the tongue by so-called fungiform papillae sensitive to sugars, alcohol and glycerine. The sensation of sweetness is first in the taste sequence, with a time lag of about one second and a persistence of up to 10 seconds. Acidity It is detected mainly along the sides of the tongue by foliate papillae sensitive to the different types of acids in wine. The six main types and their taste effects are: tartaric (hardness); malic (sour apples); citric (sharp, lemony); succinic (a salty bitterness that causes salivation); lactic (milky tartness); acetic (acrid, vinegary). The sensation of acidity is second in the taste sequence, with a time lag of about 2 seconds and a persistence of up to 12 seconds. Saltiness It is detected mainly at the upper front part of the tongue by foliate papillae sensitive to salts, which in wine derive from mineral or organic acids. The sensation of saltiness has a time lag of about 2 seconds while persistence is of little relevance. Bitterness It is detected mainly at the back of the tongue by circumvallate papillae sensitive to certain phenolic substances, tannins and esters. The bitter sensation is the last to be perceived with a time lag of about 3 seconds and a persistence of up to 15 seconds. This lingering effect accounts for the bitter aftertaste described in certain wines.