Tasting Tips

Sometimes a wine tasting can seem more like a quiz than an enjoyable evening when some of the people at a tasting keep saying words like bouquet, spicy, and oak; people unsure of the meaning of these may feel like they are missing something or not participating fully in the tasting. But with a few simple definitions and tips than those same shy people at tastings may want to fill their six bottle wine bags and host a tasting for their friends at their own place to show off all they know. 
                First of all most things that people mention are not the taste of the wine but the smell that it gives off when aerated or swirled in the glass.  The aroma of the wine is also called its bouquet, one term explained.  Words that describe the bouquet are simpler than one may think. If a zinfandel reminds the drinker of black pepper it is said to be spicy or peppery while the woody smelling hints that certain wine aged in oak barrels gets is called woody. Wine gives off smells just like everything else, devour these before enjoying the actual taste and a mere wine lover can seem like a tasting pro.