SECRETS OF WINE-TASTERS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 121, 19 June 1909, Page 3

SECRETS OF WINE-TASTERS.

A recent French writer enumerates some of the precautious that must be observed by a good wine-taster. He must, in the first'place, have heen tasting for some little time, and he must not he a. smoker. Certain powerful .'lavors alter the taste ot the wine entirely, and must be avoided. Such arc the salt relishes used to revive a jaded U.irst, and even the nuts nnd cheese recommended by some to lovers of good wines. The expert la-ler must approach his task with virgin palate, tie must try only one wine at a sitting, and must drink water after each tas'fe to prepare .himself .for the next. Some tasters even .go so far as to | rinse the throat first with Vichy and then with pure, .water. The wine is then first inspected, then sinelle.l, and finally tasted. The inspection may slhow various things. X"ew red wines),'for instance lire bright: o' i •>•• ones are more ycllowifi'i- Old ■ always clear when good, tot Migiit ..ioudiness is not necessarily a bad sign in now one 6. The odour test is very important, as the bouquet reveals' many secrets to the expert, .who can often tell by it the precise region where the wine was made, besides detecting adulteration, if any has been attempted. Tie tasting proper, which comes 'last of all, also depends very largely on Hie sense of smell as we are told .by the physiologist*. Ir.jd als'o on that of feeling, by which the experl's tongue, .for example, distinguishes 'between a rough and .smooth or velvety taste. The real sense of taste tells the taste.- whether the wine ;s sweet or bitter, and enables him to make other similar distinctions.

Tile witiij is' well spread over Hie milfoils surface! of till! mouth in Instill", and is .retained until wanned. Tf it is swa Mowed too ,soon, imicli o.f tile •ell'cei. i« Just. Often, too, a yoiuiir w i„ L > 'jiui't taster somewhat thru and ron»;]i .at first l wills a PI it ,ui insHnl that it has horly ami tfives |iromi* of ileliraev.