Why does the wine move in the glass?

In wine tastings, it is common to shake the glass to enhance the aromas during the olfactory phase of the tasting, which is the one that occurs after the visual phase.

Phases of wine tasting

The olfatory phase is the most important and complex phase of the tasting in which the wine reveals its nuances and sensations that we will find later in the taste phase. In this phase, the movement of the wine in the glass has an important influence to open the aromas.

We must smell the wine in the glass after turning it, moving it slightly without vigorously shaking it to increase the evaporation surface and favor the volatilization of the aromas and to be able to perceive a greater aromatic sensation. Here new aromas or new intensities will emerge that are analyzed, identified and described.

Shaking the wine slightly reveals the secondary aromas of the fermentation responsible for the aromatic characteristics that the different wines have in common, as is the case with the Segura Viudas wines. Some secondary aromas give the wine transient characters that are more or less pleasant. They are odors of fermentation, yeast, fermented pasta, wheat, bread, etc. Later we appreciate the tertiary aromas from the upbringing, conservation and aging.

Third stage

There is a third stage in the cup movement that is not always necessary. It consists of shaking the glass forcefully (covering it with your hand if necessary), and then smelling. With this, we manage to highlight some defective aromas that we may have sensed, or perceived, in the previous phase.

However, shaking the glass is a practice that we can all do when we try a wine to enhance the aromas and enjoy the oenological experience with Segura Viudas wines even more.