 |
Appearance |
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
The most immediate aspect of the appearance of a wine is its colour. Other features to note are clarity, fluidity and effervescence.
Colour
Standard terms used to describe the most common shades for white wines are:
Amber Tawny: typical of "passito" dessert wines
made from partially dried grapes. Also the unhealthy shade
of oxidized wine.
To summarize, colour in white wines deepens with age, tending toward full straw or pale gold. More mature dry wines, particularly if aged in wood, take on rich golden tones, sometimes with hints of copper or brass. Brown hues are a sign of oxidation, a defect in table wines, but a normal feature of certain fortified wines such as Marsala. Any hints of red in a white wine are usually indications of a fault.
Many of the standard terms for rosé wines are borrowed from French and Italian. They include,
Young wines from dark grapes vinified with little skin contact can also show hints of orange, coral or salmon. "Blush wines", as they are sometimes described, fit into this category. Some rosé takes on tawny shades with age, though usually signs of browning mean the wine is oxidising.
Terms used to describe the main colours in red wines are,
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Changes in shade are one of the features of the evolution and ageing of red wine. Mature, quality wines take on subtle gradations of depth and intensity of colour which are evaluated by tilting the glass as described on p. 20 and noting the gradations in shade from the centre of the glass towards the edge. Pronounced yellow or brown colours at the rim indicate that the wine is past its prime, though some old red wines that show tawny or amber tones are still quite drinkable.
Clarity
Commercial wine, whatever its category, should be clear, perfectly transparent and free of deposits or suspended particles. Any sign of cloudiness indicates a defect. A fine wine of any colour at its prime should be not only clear but also bright with a luminous quality.
Fluidity
Swirling the wine in the glass as described on p. 20 reveals whether it has normal viscosity or is unusually heavy or thin. A dense wine - one that has a high alcohol or sugar content - will usually form more "legs" on the side of the glass than a light wine.
Effervescence
The test of effervescence applies mainly to sparkling wines (wines with 3.5 -6 atmospheres of pressure). It comprises the evaluation of the persistence of the mousse or froth which forms as the wine is poured and that of the perlage or bead, the bubbles which rise from the bottom of the glass. The perlage is also judged by the size of the bubbles. In the best quality wines bubbles are fine and continue to rise in a steady flow. If the bubbles cease quickly, if they are large and irregular, or seem to hang in suspension, the wine is probably either faulty or poor quality.
Table wines with a light effervescence, (up to 2 atmospheres of pressure) are sometimes described with a term derived from German, spritzy.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
