品酒知識大掃盲

Holding a wine glass
正確地握酒杯:
Never hold the glass by its bowl, only by its stem since the heat of your hand will quickly warm the liquid.
Tips: 每次不要倒太多酒，少許即可。如果要同時品好幾種酒，應從清淡的白葡萄酒開始，依次到醇厚的紅葡萄酒。在品嚐兩種酒期間，喝口清水漱口將有助於你更好地鑑賞每種酒的味道。

Sight
觀色:
Look at the wine - in daylight if possible. The best way is to slightly tilt the wine in the glass and hold it up to the light or look at it against a white or pale background. What do you see? Is the wine clear or cloudy? The color will vary according to what wine it is.
Tips: 新釀的紅酒是鮮亮的覆盆子紅（bright-raspbeery color），而陳年紅酒是磚紅色（brick-like color）。白葡萄酒則隨着年份的增長依次由淺綠色（pale green）變爲黃色，金棕色（golden brown），並且其金色會愈來愈顯眼。

Swirl
搖晃:
While firmly holding the stem of the wine glass, gently swirl the glass in tiny circles on a flat surface for 10 to 20 seconds allowing oxygen to penetrate the wine.
Tips: 將酒放入杯中旋轉是爲了讓酒快速氧化，並沿着杯沿散發出它的芬芳。

Smell or Sniff
聞香:
Tip the glass up and stick your nose in it and inhale. At the top of the glass, the smells are more floral and fruity; deeper in the glass, they are richer. Try to detect the full range of scents from berry to floral to spicy to woody ... and so on. Consider intensity and appeal.
Tips: 人類對味道的感知80%是通過鼻子，所以品酒時聞一聞酒香很重要。不要將鼻子伸得太下，否則你的鼻子很快就會疲憊，甚至嗅覺失靈。

Sip and Taste
品嚐:
This is the final step and should be taken only after you've used your other senses. Then sip the wine, letting the wine spread across the tongue from front to back and side to side before swallowing.
Tips: 品嚐時可以用嘴吸入少量的空氣，使酒充分釋放出馥郁的香味，最後要細細體味酒的餘韻。專業的品酒師會把品過的酒吐掉，因爲他們常常要試飲數百款葡萄酒，即使每種都只品嚐一口，到了最後也絕對會酩酊大醉，更別說爲品嚐過的酒記下客觀評價了，所以對於品酒師而言，如何在大衆面前得體地吐酒也是一項技術。

詞彙：
titl: 使傾斜，使翹起
penetrate: 瀰漫，滲透
floral: 花香，帶有類似鮮花的香味
fruity: 富果味的、有果香的；紅酒通常有漿果香(如黑醋栗、草莓、櫻桃、覆盆子)，白酒則可能會有蘋果、桃子、柑橘或熱帶水果的味道
spicy: 香料味；這一類的香氣大都來自經橡木桶的培養所賦予，如香草、肉桂、胡椒、甘草等香味
woody: 木材味，一般指橡木桶味過重而蓋過果味

怎麼樣，你學會優雅專業地品酒了嗎？在這個物質富足，精神壓力愈來愈大的時代，提高生活品質很重要，適當地喝點葡萄酒會有種享受生活的感覺。忙忙碌碌之餘，啜一口佳釀，體味葡萄美酒夜光杯帶來的愉悅，你會發現生活竟然可以如此美好。