Savor a wine with the eyes

The world of wine offers a kaleidoscope of colors that enchant the senses, stretching from the lightest yellow to the deep black of an aged Pedro Ximénez. This spectrum includes bright golds, pinkish grays, warm mahoganies, vivid cherry reds, rubies, and ambers. The list of hues is seemingly endless, reflecting the rich variety found in wine.

The color of wine is entirely natural, yet it is profoundly influenced by external factors. This is evident in white wines, which darken over time due to exposure to air, light, and heat. This color change is due to the oxidation of the wine's natural colorants, such as tannins, anthocyanins, phenolic compounds, polyphenol oxidases, iron, flavones, etc., all of which originate from the grape.

This phenomenon is akin to the browning of an apple slice left in the open air. The apple's white flesh slowly adopts brown tones when exposed to the atmosphere, a process mirrored in the world of wine.

With the collaboration of Barcolobo, a winery known for its premium singular wines, we explore how one can "taste" the quality of wine with their eyes.

In red wines, unlike whites, the color intensity and hue diminish over time. A freshly made red wine, about a year old, will display strong reds, purples, and violets, gradually fading to a softer brick red in older wines. Interestingly, the foam formed when pouring young red wine is red, turning white in older wines.

The visual phase of wine tasting begins by observing the wine in a glass against a well-lit white background. A young white wine should appear pale, whereas an older one will have a deeper color. This is also true for finos, manzanillas, and cavas. A young red wine will exhibit bright violet or purple hues, but a grand reserva will have a more subdued, brick-like color.

One should also observe the hue: within finos, the range can vary from straw yellow to greenish yellow, typical of some older moriles. Whites can range from almost watery pale to the honeyed tones of some muscats.

Clarity and transparency are also crucial. Wine should never appear cloudy or even slightly opaque. Any such imperfection, unless in unfiltered wines served in some establishments, should be reason enough to reject the bottle.

Cloudiness may be accompanied by suspended particles, greasy iridescence on the surface, or any other signs that compromise the wine's impeccable clarity. This should not be confused with cork particles from a faulty stopper.

It's becoming less common to find tiny crystals in wine, resulting from rapid cooling of a wine not refrigerated or protected before filtration and bottling. The formation of these crystals, often bitartrates, does not detract from the wine's quality but may affect its appearance.

The visual aspect allows one to appreciate the harmony between color, aroma, and taste. A young, vibrant red wine should be aromatic, full-bodied, fresh, and slightly tannic. If not, something is amiss. A young white should be pale, fruity on the nose, and light on the palate.

Fluidity is another important visual aspect. In some fine wines, the ailment of "greasiness" used to be common, where the wine falls thickly, like oil. Each wine should have its appropriate level of fluidity and movement in the glass. Naturally, a dry white should be more agile than a muscat or Pedro Ximénez. Lack of fluidity in a dry wine, especially a white, can indicate potential issues.

In sparkling wines, the effervescence, or the release of bubbles, is a key quality parameter. Long, fine chains of bubbles should continuously rise from the bottom and sides of the glass.

Numerous terms are used to describe visual aspects in wine tasting. For clarity, wines can be described as brilliant, transparent, luminous, or conversely, opalescent, dull, cloudy, broken, milky, veiled, etc.

For color, terms like vivid, clear, frank, fresh, luminous, pale, accompany the wide chromatic range previously discussed. If the color lacks vibrancy, it is described as dull, matte, past, weak, etc.

Finally, intensity varies from strong to dull, encompassing weak, faded, dark, and more.