Although as a child in Italy Mario Andretti didn't particularly enjoy the wine that was served at every meal, he drank it nonetheless. In the 1970s, however, at the height of his racing career, in the course of his extensive travels he began to develop an appreciation of fine wine. So it's little wonder that when he retired from racing, he began pursuing a new passion: the art of winemaking. Appreciating Wine - Look at the wine's color in the glass. As it ages, white wine will pick up color: chardonnay, for instance, becomes more golden with age. Red, on the other hand, starts out a deep purple or ruby; 10 years later the color will start vanishing and become more opaque -- brick red, for example.
- Smell the wine. First pour it into a glass, then swirl the glass to aerate the wine and let it breathe. This releases the esters, ethers and aldehydes that together with oxygen develop the bouquet.
Tip: According to Andretti Winery's winemaker, Bob Pepi, wine tastes best when it's first opened (and for a few hours afterward if it needs aging). Glossary - Aroma: the smell of grapes and chemicals in wine
- Bouquet: the smell that develops during the aging process
- Nose: the aroma and the bouquet.
Tasting Andretti points out that most people make the mistake of just gulping down a mouthful of wine. Tastebuds, however, are located throughout the mouth, so in order to be fully appreciated, wine must be held in the mouth. Its acidity will be felt on the extremities of the tongue and in the cheeks. He advises the novice wine fancier always to let his or her palate -- not the opinion of others, experts or not -- be the judge in deciding what they like.
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