Appearance
Like it or not, the first quality of a wine that lends itself to the taster is the visual clue given by the appearance of the wine in the glass. To appreciate the true colors in the wine you must tilt the wine at an angle of about forty degrees and hold it against a white background, this environment lends itself to viewing the wine in the best of circumstances. This initial stimulus sometimes hints at a clue as to what the wine will taste like or perhaps more probably what it will not taste like. A deep red color in the glass may well borrow its likeness to a quality grape, even to circuit professionals and the most ardent of tasters. Caution is advised though because while, hints may be given as to the quality of the wine, do not pay too much credence to the color (even the best have been fooled by this).
Look at the clarity of the wine, it should be brilliantly clear without debt or a cloudiness. Debt is a technical term in tasting which describes the balance between the clarity and haziness of the wine. Bottled wine must be carefully poured in order to separate the wine from the sediment in the bottle which could in turn lead to the wine turning to...