葡萄酒品酒规则

Wine is a food. We enjoy it with meals, or with company. It does not have to be expensive to be enjoyable or even to want to talk about it. The tasting ritual exists because wine is complicated, and it helps to take it one step at a time. Wine appeals to everyone, and there is no reason it should be for a privileged few. In most of the rest of the world, it is just another food item on the table.

进口葡萄酒也是一种美食，我们搭配餐点享用她，在商务时饮用她。她的美味不一定要多昂贵才能企及甚至都不需要言及。品酒规则的存在正是源自于她的复杂，每一个步骤的品尝味蕾都会有不同的感受。葡萄酒对每个人都是一种诱惑，并不是只有特权等级的人才能享用。在世界上的其他国家，她只是餐桌上另一款食物而已。

Step 1 - Look at the wine, judge its appearance. What color is it? How opaque is it?

第一步： 看酒色，判断葡萄酒的色泽，什么颜色？透明度如何？

Step 2 - Swirl the wine and then smell it. Do it twice, the first time inhale from just outside the glass, slowly and long. The second time inhale sharply from inside the glass. This will help you to smell both the aromas that escape the glass and those that stay inside. Don''t worry yet about what you smell, just how strong the smell is. This is the degree of fruit. If the wine burns your nose hairs it is "hot" and this means it has a lot of alcohol. This is usually a sign of quality in wine, if it is not too overwhelming. You also want to notice and comment on any strange or bad smells the wine may have.

第二步：轻摇酒杯闻香味。

重复两次，第一次从高脚杯内缓慢而悠长的嗅入。第二次从高脚杯内部猛的嗅入。这样做，能使你不仅能闻到逸出杯外的香味，同时也能闻到深藏在杯底的香味。不要担心您闻到的香味有多重，那是鲜果的级别程度。如果酒香刺激您鼻子感到非常热，那意味着酒精浓度高，通常，只要不是太冲的味道，这就标志着酒的品质。同样，你也很想知道酒有可能存在的奇怪的或者不好的味道。

Tip: Swirling a wine glass takes practice. As you are learning, the best way to do it is to leave the wine glass on the table, place two fingers on either side of the stem, and make small circles with the base. Start slowly, and as you gain confidence swirl more vigorously. Learning to keep the wine in the glass and off your clothes is the goal. Practice with water, to minimize stains.

提示：轻摇酒杯这个动作需要多练习。如果你是在学习中，最好的方式是将酒杯拿离餐桌，将两个手指拿在高脚杯的两侧，然后将手掌环绕紧握杯高脚杯基座。慢慢的开始轻摇，如果熟练以后可以适当加快。确保酒仍在杯中而不洒到衣服上是最终目标。可以盛水练习防止沾染。

Step 3 - You finally get to taste the wine. Place a small amount of wine in your mouth, and perform the famous wine tasting slurp. This will increase the amount of aromas that reach your nose, through your mouth, increasing the intensity of the flavors. The flavor of the wine is defined by the balance of the 3 tastes: fruit, acid and tannin. It is further defined by the specific type of fruit you experienced, usually this is first noticeable in the smell, and often, but not always, carries through to the flavor.

第三步： 终于可以品尝葡萄酒了。

泯一小口置于口内啜食。这将增加您鼻子和嘴吸入的香气，增强风味的赏析。酒香可分层为三种味道：果香，酒精和单宁。其中果香的种类再细分，通常果香是闻酒的第一个闻到且绝大部分是持续的。

Tip: The slurping technique is another one that takes practice but is very important. Place a small amount of water or wine in your mouth. Do not swallow. Place your lower lip between your teeth, and raise your upper lip. You can now draw air in through your teeth and over the wine. Practice until you can do it easily, and without so much force that you choke. Beware of dribbling.

提示：啜食技巧又是另一个需要勤加练习的重要技巧。泯一小口水置于口内，不要吞咽，将下唇置于齿间，轻启上唇，通过齿间吸收空气到葡萄酒内。在您能熟练掌握前请多加练习，否则很容易呛到。当心不要漏出唇齿之外。

Step 4 - Look for any tastes that follow swallowing (or spitting) the wine. Are the flavors pleasant? Is there any bitterness? We are looking for actual bitterness here as opposed to the rough flavors of the tannin, and it is somewhat rare. Drinking coffee and other bitter drinks tends to dull one''s palate for bitterness, so not everyone can catch it when it is there. If you do notice it, make a comment about it, because it is a sign that the wine may not age well. After the flavor and even the aftertaste have faded, can you still taste a sense of the wine? If so, this is the linger, and how long it lasts is one of the most important indications of quality in a wine.

第四步：回味葡萄酒喝入喉咙后的滋味。

味道好吗？有没有苦味？我们这里所说的苦味并不是说单宁的刺喉的味道，而是一种独特的味道，所以并不是所有的人都能捕捉到这种味道。如果您发现了，那表明了这个葡萄酒已经有很多年的历史了。如果所有的味道甚至后味都已经感受到了，您能品尝出酒的风味吗？如果是这样，香味的停留，留香时间的长短也是葡萄酒品质好坏的一个重要指标。

Step 5 - Pronounce your judgment upon the wine. Did you like it or not? If you are up to it, say why. If you have tasted enough wines to compare this one to others of its class, do so, how typical is it? Finally, consider everything you have said and experienced about the wine, and if you know how much it cost, decide if the wine is a value or not. A wine that cost many hundreds of dollars should surprise no one with its quality, but a memorable wine that is affordable is a find, and you want to make sure to remember it.

第五步： 说出您对这葡萄酒的判断。

你喜欢她还是不喜欢？如果您如此做了，说出原因。如果您品尝过足够多的同级别的葡萄酒，就那么做吧，这款葡萄酒有多典型？最后，如果您知道她的价格，请考虑一下您曾经说过经历过的葡萄酒，判断一下这个酒是否值这个价格。一瓶价值几百美元的葡萄酒必须能让人们不只是为她的品质感到惊奇，而是必须更让人感到这是能找到并买得起的最值得的葡萄酒，并能记住她。