On taste

Flavor is very funny. Most of what we taste we are actually smelling. Our tongues can recieve sweet, bitter, salty, sour and savory (or umami). A balance of all of these sensations make for an outstanding wine or food. And yet even wines that have achieved an ideal balance have their own flavors that distinguish it among others. All the evocative adjectives we give wine come from the aroma.
In order to really taste a wine you have to smell it. I noticed that I started to sniff everything: my food, the air, flowers, etc. and it helped me to start to notice other aromas in wine. Aroma can be picked up better with airflow, which is where the swirling ritual comes from. When a glass of wine is swirled it releases and carries different flavors. Swirling can also help you study the color and texture. Color can help you establish a pattern of flavors you like. The viscosity of wine is very subtle, but if you notice when you swirl it that some of it lingers along the edge of the glass, the wine will feel more velvety smooth or crisp and clean depending on its thickness. I think there is a time for the full range of texture, but you can study and find out what you really like.
My challenge to you this week is to order or buy a wine you have had before and really study it. Put your nose in the glass, swirl it, check the color and thickness. See if you can find things about the wine you never noticed before. Also see if you like the wine better right out of the bottle, after it has been sitting out after half hour or an hour. If you do let me know what you noticed and whether or not you enjoyed it.
Cheers!