Why do wine tasters swirl or swish the wine in the wine glass before tasting?

Question

People do it all the time. Are they looking for a specific feature of the wine as they swirl it?

Answer 1

Agitating It releases more of the aroma

Answer 2

They do this because swirling the wine makes the "bouquet" (the smell of the wine) stronger, making for a more satisfactory or enjoyable drinking experience.

Answer 3

it's so they can get a better mouthfeel for the wine. I can't really explain why for wine, but with coffee we slurp (instead of swish it around) for the same reason. certain parts of your mouth taste the flavors differently than if you were to just suck it through a straw and swallow it.  

Answer 4

I have had a couple of these people in my home after an international wine show and I blindfolded them and they couldn't tell one wine from the other. I make my own wine and I can tell what grapes made what wine and they couldn't.

The equivalent from pork and lamb and they couldn't tell. I mean, one could but I caught him out somewhere else so they are just bufoons the lot of them.

It's all BS in grand style.

Answer 5

Yes, they're examining the "legs", or the way it runs down the glass.  Also, with red wines it's sometimes good to swish it around to move the sediment from the bottom of the glass.

Answer 6

They don't even know why they do it. They just want to look fancy.  

Answer 7

It is normally done to see the 'legs' or 'tears' of the wine. The 'legs' or ' 'tears'  are normally lines that slide down the glass are used to tell apart good mature wine and fortified wine or just crappy wine. So the more 'legs' or ' 'tears', the higher the quality.

Then again it boils down to a science, the wines surface tension and alcohol content helps detail the quality. Surface tension is the likelihood of the wine to stick to the glass.

Answer 8

hahaha!  to show off!

Answer 9

Yes they are...

The legs mentioned is one characteristic they are looking at. Legs give as relative idea of a wines' body or thickness. Certain wines are known for a certain degree of body and by watching the wine run down the glass a general idea of body can be guessed-determined.

They may also be looking at/for the wines clarity and color. As with body wines are also known by their color and clarity. Clarity may indicate both the care a winemaker has given her wine and possible mis-handling or contamination. The color is viewed through light by holding the glass up to a light source. A general reference is given by both the mid point or center of the wine where it is more opaque and at the rim of the wine where it is much lighter.

Some say, but other disagree, that swirlling the glass aerates the wine which softens the tannic quality of the wine. Tannins are astringent chemicals that give a dry mouth-puckering affect to our mouths. By allowing a wine to aerate for a time the tannins are 'softend" and so the wine is more enjoyable to many.

Just random sites

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article...

http://www.wineonline.ie/kitchen/tasting...

http://www.winecountrygetaways.com/taste...

Advanced skills education

http://extension.ucdavis.edu/unit/winema...

http://extension.ucdavis.edu/unit/winema...

Answer 10

Beats me, maybe they's trying to get the caviar out of their teeth.

Answer 11

It makes the flavor better.

Answer 12

Swishing is a little much, I have taken my level one test to become a Sommelier and swishing isn't something that I do; however, many people go through the process and it works for them for whatever reason that makes them keep trying new and different varietals.

Swirling with the proper glass of a specific wine does bring out characteristics and enhances the wine. Hey, have fun with it and try different wines with or without food, do what works for you and what gives you the most enjoyable experience.

ciao