How to See, Smell and Taste Great Wine

I’m not much of a wine drinker but I do cook with it a lot.  To be very honest, I don’t know much about choosing a great wine other than what I know in terms of picking a nice table/cooking wine.  If you’re like me, you might find these tips from the Today show very helpful.  At the very least, even if you aren’t a big wine drinker, it’s nice to know this information so that don’t have to worry about being the odd man out at a dinner party.

In a nutshell, here are the things to think about when selecting a wine:

1. Flavor: Is it sweet, sour, bitter, salty, dry, or hot?
2. Texture: Is it minerally like water from a stream or oily like, well, olive oil?  Is it light like water or heavy like Guinness?
3. Balance: does it feel like the all parts of the wine are working together or is something standing out?  
4. Length: This refers to how long you can taste the wine after you’ve swallowed it.

For a better idea, watch the segment with Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford: