Have you ever imagined yourself a wine connoisseur? Do you want to know your way around a wine cellar, sipping the finest wines and picking out their unique scents and flavors? Lucky for our wine-lovers, there’s no need to book an expensive trip to Napa Valley, but it does take a bit more than opening up a different bottle each night and sampling the fare. This is where the four S’s come in. See, swirl, smell and sip your way to identifying the perfect wine for you. All photos courtesy of Ironside Photography.
Step 1 – Seeing
Pour your wine into a clear glass and observe its color. The lighter a red wine is, the longer it has aged. A darker white wine signifies a more aged wine.
Step 2 – Swirling
Swirl the contents of the wine around your glass. This allows the aromas of the wine to be identified.
Step 3 – Smelling
In red wines, you might find a berry or fruity scent – strawberry, raspberry, even blackberry and plum. You also might smell an earthier scent, like chocolate or smoke. A white wine may have a more citrusy scent. You’ll might get hints of lemon, lime or tropical fruits. Other white wines might have a vanilla scent.
Step 4 – Sipping
When taking a sip, what you taste is influenced by what you smell. The combination of smell and taste allows you to decide which flavors you prefer. Identifying these flavors will help determine if you like sweet, citrusy or earthy wines.
Now that you know the four steps in determining the type of wine you prefer, the next natural step is to taste a lot of wine! Luckily, this weekend holds the 14th Annual Art of Wine Festival. Tickets are still available for the Premier Tasting on Saturday, June 14 where, for the price of an elite bottle, you can sample many of the finest wines in the world – some of which are not available except at prestigious wine festivals like this one. Guests will also enjoy delectable heavy hors d'oeuvres prepared by Northwest Arkansas' best chefs. The festival also includes a silent auction where you could win amazing prizes such as:
- An LPGA tournament experience, including VIP passes and tickets to Dierks Bentley
- A beach vacation in Gulf Shores, Alabama
- Football tickets to the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium, seated in the Tyson Foods box
- A beautiful pearl necklace and earrings from Underwood's Fine Jewelers
- Tickets to the Arkansas vs. LSU game on Saturday, Nov. 15
- Original works of art
- Local gift baskets
For tickets and more information, visit http://waltonartscenter.org/support/get-involved/art-of-wine-festival/. Grab your friends, enjoy the tasting experience and discover your new favorite wine!
