Wine consumption is still relatively new to Americans, and we are just beginning to appreciate how good wine is, and how good it is for you. Unlike a cold beer in summer that demands to be consumed in one big swallow, wine asks us to understand, to savor, to find the nuances and subtleties hidden within. Wine forces us to utilize our senses of sight, smell, taste in a way that we are not quite used to. It's as if we are exercising muscles that haven't been used in years. It can be hard work, this continual interplay. At times it will frustrate, and at other times amaze. But, it will never be dull.

The ultimate flavor of wine is determined by a series of complex interactions that I have no intention of getting into now. The important thing to remember though is that the bottle of wine you drink today is the result of years of vine growth, sun, wine and rain, the human decisions which include but are not limited to when the grapes are picked and how, how long the juice is allowed to stay in contact with the grape skin, stems and seeds (if any), how long and in what container it is allowed to age, and at what point it should be bottled, racked and allowed to mature. The look, aroma and taste of that wine is a direct result of how well all of the above mentioned events come together to create magic.

Your first indication is the scent or nose of the wine. To gain the full effect from this stage of tasting, it is a good idea to have the proper glass for the type of wine being sampled. While many of you think that this is a marketing gimmick brought on by the crystal industry, I can assure you that the proper glass does make a difference. Each shape is designed to allow the particular type of wine a chance to "open up" properly and then have the aroma concentrate at the rim of the glass.

Begin by uncorking your choice of wine and immediately sniffing the cork. You do this to discover any excessive mustiness, acidity or simply an "off smell". Any of these smells, plus many more, could indicate a bottle that has turned, or past it's prime. If, on the other hand, there is no apparent off scent, then you can reasonably assume that the wine is in good condition. Whether or not it is to your liking comes later.

Now it's time to pour the wine into your glass. Before you simply take the bottle by the neck and pour the contents out as fast as you can until the glass is overflowing, try this: hold the bottle firmly at its base. Tilt your glass at about a 45 ° angle and slowly pour approximately 2 ounces of wine into it. You will certainly notice the color of the newly uncorked wine coming out of the bottle, and from this you will get a sense of the wine you are about to taste, but for now, let's stick with the nose of the wine. Color and what it can mean will come a little later.

Once an adequate amount of wine has entered your glass, swirl the liquid in your glass to "open up" the wine and allow the flavors to develop. It's a little like letting the genie out of the bottle; it needs to stretch it's legs a bit after being in there for so long. Swirling the wine around quickly adds oxygen to the wine, thus mellowing and developing it more quickly. (A friend of mine who is a winemaker had dinner at an upscale San Francisco restaurant where they actually decanted the red wine in a glass globe, put the stopper on and shook the hell out it for a couple of minutes. While the show was apparent, the sommelier was also "super charging" the oxygen back into the wine to mellow the tannins.)

After you have swirled the wine around for a bit, and you are sure that you haven't gotten any on you or those around you, bring the rim of the glass up to your nose and take a deep breath. What do you smell? Try to visualize what that smell reminds you of. Some of the more classic flavors are chocolate, tobacco, plum, green apple, blackberry, vanilla, toffee, and pineapple. Quite frankly, there are more flavor combinations than you would imagine and many of us never quite get more than the basics. That's fine, because the basics will always point you in the right direction, especially when it comes to food and wine pairing, which will be discuss later). If you are interested in a wonderful tool to help you better various flavors found within each varietal type, you should look at the Tasting Tours kits available here).

Now comes the real test; the taste. But first let's review…You've looked over the cork to make sure that it is wet, has no off flavors, and is the same cork that came from the bottle being poured. After the cork has been ceremoniously dispensed with, a small amount of wine is poured into your glass for visual inspection and then the sniff test (This is very important for your nose is far more sensitive than your palate. The flavors will first become apparent at this point). It's now or never.

The taste test can throw grown adults into a complete panic, principally because they are not sure of the proper etiquette. Believe us, people who slurp and suck, slosh and spit their wine should be taught table manners! It is perfectly fine to swirl a little wine in your glass, taking in the aroma as the glass rim goes up to your lips and finally sipping some wine. Hold the wine in your mouth for a bit and work it around so that the wine comes in contact with as many taste buds as you can muster. After you've gotten the idea of the flavor of the wine, and made some mental notes (either positive or negative) swallow it and finish the enjoyment (For a serious wine tasting where there will be lots and lots of wine, it is OK to spit the wine after tasting, but oh, what a shame!).