How to Make the Most Out of a Wine Tasting Event

Have you ever been invited to a wine tasting, but turned down the offer because you felt you knew very little about wine or had maybe tried wine before and decided it wasn't for your palate.

It may be time to give wine another chance. Here's why.

More and more research is pointing to evidence that wine is not only good for you, it contains a chemical called reservatrol, which has been proven to have various health benefits. In fact, a biotech startup is even banking on harnessing the power of reservatrol to aid in slowing the negative impacts of such diseases as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

So, here's what you can do the next time you are invited to a wine tasting. Say yes and follow these steps. You can even go out and buy a modestly-priced Cabernet Sauvignon, if you prefer reds, or a Sauvignon Blanc, if you prefer whites, and follow these tasting rules.

First, pour an ample amount of wine in your wine glass. Then, take a deep look at what you see. You're looking for the color. Some experts even suggest holding up your wine glass to a sheet of white paper to observe the color of this fruity nectar.

If you are tasting a Sauvignon Blanc, the colors will range from silvery white with hints of straw-like colors and appear so light that it appears to be able to fly upwards out of the glass. Meanwhile, if you are tasting a Cabernet Sauvignon, you'll witness hearty red colors resembling plums or currants. In other words, color depends on the type of grape used, also known as the varietal, and which techniques were used to age the wines.

Next, we move along to what's called the body of the wine. Here's where you tilt your glass so the wine glides along the sides of the glass. Observe closely to see how the wine trickles downward. A light-bodied wine leaves practically no trace on the glass while a full-bodied wine will fall slowly and leave streaks. When visible streaks are left, this is a phenomenon called legs.