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mouthful they try to spread the wine around all the different areas of the mouth. At the tip of the tongue are the detectors for sweetness, in the middle is saltiness, at the sides acidity and sourness are detected and at the very back of the tongue there are sensors that detect bitterness, so make sure you get a big enough mouthful the coat your whole mouth.

Another tip to maximize the flavor of the wine is to take in air while it's in your mouth. It is only necessary to have a tiny opening at the side of your mouth and to suck in immediately as you are taking a drink of wine. It is this breath downwards through your nose that is needed to intensify the sensation.

The most important quality of a wine is its balance between sweetness and acidity. To get the full taste of a wine follow the following three steps:

1. Initial taste (or first impression): This is where the wine awakens your senses (your taste buds respond to sensations).
2. Taste: Slosh the wine around and draw in some air (even if you do look funny in front of your dinner guests). Examine the body and texture of the wine. Is it light or rich? Is it smooth or harsh?

3. Aftertaste: The taste that remains in your mouth after you have swallowed the wine. How long did the taste last? Was it pleasant?

After tasting the wine, take a moment to value its overall flavor and balance. Is the taste appropriate for that type of wine? If the wine is very dry, is it supposed to be?

Some serious wine connoisseurs assign a point score to a wine to determine its quality. While this method can be useful, it is in no way necessary to determine a quality wine. The more different wines you try, and the more attention you pay to each wine, the better you will become at ascertaining and describing each wine's characteristics.

Wine tasters rarely swallow what they taste. They spit it out into a bucket and should you taste a great deal of wine such as might be given at the American Wine Society annual meeting, then that is what you should do or should be at a tasting at a small group where that is being done, then you can decide whether or not to follow the lead or just swallow it and enjoy it. The matter is up to you.

Learn more about this author, Arlene Wright-Correll.
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