Chapter 13
Aging

How do well-made wines age differently from faulty wines? What does the aging pattern tell the winemaker about his wine? What wine characteristics can be expected to improve with age? What does aging unmask in problem wines?

Chapter 14
Tasting and Evaluation

How do our senses work when evaluating wine? Develop, practice, and sharpen your evaluation skills. Get expert tasting help from others.

Chapter 15
Fine Tuning and Balancing

How do you evaluate the present strengths and weaknesses of a wine before adjustment? Fine-tuning requires the use of a gentle hand in nudging wines in the right direction. Try to adjust the acid and the tannins before balancing.

Chapter 16
Blending

Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of your wines to see how blending can help. How does an ideal blending component differ from an ideal wine? Combine wine components in the right proportion for final balance. Blend for complexity to achieve multiple layers of taste.

Chapter 17
Presentation: Appearance, Bottling, and Labeling

How do first impressions of a wine's appearance influence what smell and taste? Wine appearance is judged by clarity, color, and intensity. Specific bottle shapes and colors are associated with specific wine styles. What should your label convey?