Raley's Wine Club : Wine School

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Here, you'll pick up key terms, major wine varieties and how to taste wine like a pro. So pack up your corkscrew and let's go!

SEE SMELL SIP VARIETALS EXPERT ADVICE

Keep in mind that smelling and tasting things is always going to be subjective. Why is the smell of the wine so critical? Well, as anyone who's had a cold could tell you, you can't taste what you don't smell.

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Why are people looking at the wine before they drink it? It looks like wine, what else is there to see?

Well, actually, looking at a wine can tell you what it is before you drink it. It can also give you an idea of the flavors in it. A golden-colored wine will often have a richer flavor than a straw-colored wine. A dark-purple wine will seem more intense than a light red one. These are not hard and fast rules, but looking at your wine can help you get into the wine-tasting mindset.

Swirl the wine in the glass. You might think the legs, or the droplets of wine that cling to the glass once you've swirled it, will tell you about the quality of the wine. They do not, although they can indicate the body or sweetness of the wine. You will also want to make sure the wine is not cloudy. Cloudiness is a sign that the wine has gone bad.

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Expert Tips
Food pairings, tasting party ideas and "WineQ" - like IQ, but you can drink it! Peek

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