Learn How to Properly Wine Taste

With our first Wine Not? Winter Wine Festival a little over a week away, the Rocker Morning Show invited St. Julian Winery's Dave Braganini to the studio to hare his wine tasting tips.

Combining our two favorite things, alcohol and alliteration, Braganini explained the simple steps to sampling: see, swirl, smell, sip, savor.

• See: First, look at the color and clarity of the wine. If it's clear, you're in the clear. If it's cloudy, it's a bad batch.
• Swirl: Second, swirl the wine around in the glass. This helps the wine to breathe, releasing the aroma. And since we've got an aroma swirling around...
• Smell: …Smell it!  Citrus? Berries? Forest Floor? Taste and smell work together, so stick your shnoz in there and get a good sniff.
• Sip: Next, sip. Let the wine swirl around in your mouth and touch all areas of the tongue to fully appreciate all the flavors.
• Savor: Finally, savor. This involves sitting back, putting your feet up, and a heavy, relaxing sigh.