by Ben Ang

Created on: October 10, 2009   Last Updated: October 11, 2009

Once in a while, most people love to chill with a glass of wine to relax themselves. This alcoholic drink is gaining popularity over the years due to its anti-ageing properties and not to mention the other added health related benefits. However, when people are just starting out tasting wine and making it a part of their drinking routine, most people generally end completely clueless when it comes to choosing a good wine.

There are clearly no governing rules when it comes to buying and choosing a good wine. Though wine reviews and recommendations certainly do not hurt, most people would simply purchase anything that they feel they will like. But again ask yourself these couple of questions, how many times have you shied away from buying a particular brand of wine just because a friend told you that you most probably wouldn't like it? And, have you ever tasted a wine which you didn't fancy only to find out later that it actually had a number of rave reviews under its belt?

One thing you can be sure of is that choosing and buying a wine is all about personal taste. A particular brand of wine can cost as little as ten bucks, but if you like it, you like it. Likewise, you could have tried another brand of wine that cost a hundred bucks and completely not be swayed by it at all. Taste is subjective. Everyone's taste bud is different. To tell you to drink a particular wine would be equivalent to telling you what food to eat specifically. The only way to figure out what you will really fancy is to try as many wines as you can. Make a note of your favourites while wine tasting. Tasting is the most fun part when it comes to choosing a wine.

There are 4 main pointers to aid you in choosing a good wine. They are:

Pointer #1 Colour of the wine

Use the colour of the wine as an indicator to determine its body and robustness. The darker the colour, the fuller the body and the more fragrant it gets while its vice versa for a lighter colour.

Pointer #2 Texture of the wine

Look at the wine opacity, is it clear, cloudy or somewhere in between? Are there any sediments or specks of cork floating in it?

Pointer #3 Aroma of the wine

Take a quick whiff of the wine and take a deeper breath of the wine through your nose. What do you fancy about the aroma?

Pointer #4 Taste of the wine

Swirl a little wine in your mouth and take note of the initial taste. Next let a bit of air through your lips and swirl the wine into your mouth again using your tongue. Swallow the wine next and note the wine's finishing taste or the aftertaste.

Wine tasting is an art itself. Choosing a good wine requires your sense of sight, taste and smell. The process is very straightforward and can be summarized into the 4 main pointers above. It's that simple.

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