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12 | OHCC LIVING | APRIL 2019 | When the Wine Tasting Group hold their tastings each month, they sample several different wines, both red and white. Most often the wines are ones that they have not tried before – maybe a new winery, wines from a different region, or wines blended with different types of grapes. That is the fun of discovery in wine tasting. There are estimated to be more than 10,000 different wine grape varieties grown around the world, so the choices are almost endless. This makes each wine tasting an experience in discovering new wines. So, a question that can be asked is how you can tell if a wine is actually good. There are some basic criteria that can help anyone assess wine quality without scores and reviews and the answers to these criteria can be different for each person, based on their taste. Here are some considerations when wines are selected for Wine Tastings each month: Where does the wine come from? Wine is made in every state in the USA as well as in more than 75 countries around the world. Unexpected places can have very good wine, for instance, Champagne-style sparkling wines from England have actually bested true French champagne in tastings. For a novice wine-buyer though, it is best to look for wines from areas known for good wine – California (Napa Valley, Central Coast, Lodi, to name a few), Oregon, France, Italy, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, and Chile or Argentina. How does the wine look in the glass? Whatever the wine's color, it should be clear, not cloudy. A white wine that is dark yellow or brownish-yellow color might be oxidized. A red wine that has a brownish color to the top edge of the glass might be old or have a bad cork that allowed in air that oxidized the wine leaving a bad taste or smell. Does it smell good? Most wines have a pleasant aroma or nose. Often this is the smell of the principal grape variety used, particularly in young wines. The aroma of Sauvignon Blanc is typically reminiscent of grapefruit and/or peaches; it can smell of grassiness, as is typical of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. In sangiovese (an Italian red wine), the main grape of Chianti smells like violets. As the wine ages and various compounds in the wine develop, fade, or knit together, the wine develops what is called a "bouquet." Descriptions of what you might smell or taste in the wine is often found written on the bottle and can be interesting to read, but often hard to discern when you taste the wine. Is it well balanced? Are the elements of a wine; acidity, tannins, alcohol fruit, oak flavor, etc., in harmony with one another or does one or more stand out? Too much tannin gives your mouth a cottony feel (that's tannin when you bite into an unripe persimmon); too much alcohol feels "hot" and sharp. Equilibrium is the key and even people new to tasting wine will probably like a well-balanced wine better than one that is out of whack, even if they can't articulate exactly why. How much does it cost? Often very expensive wines command high prices not for quality alone but for their rarity or for the bragging rights that come with being able to afford a pricey wine. It is important to remember that while a $50 wine might be better than a $10 one, it is not necessarily five times better. It is often possible to find very nice wines for $10-$15, and really good ones for $15-$25. A very pleasant lower cost wine can be an enjoyable "find." Do you like it? Taste in wine, is very individual and is highly subjective. It can be affected by all kinds of factors, including experience, mood, and expectations. Ultimately, though, only one thing matters, not the way the wine looks, smells, or tastes, not mouth feel or balance or anything else. How can you tell if a wine is really any good? If you like it, it is. Wine Tasting Club

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