All liquor where you wish to smell and sip should be had in tulip glasses as the aroma is caged in here (this includes Single Malt whiskies). Wines should be filled to one-third of the glass.

First, the colour.

Hold up the glass against a white surface. A red wine will be lightest red to almost brown. A rose' will be pinkish and a white wine will be anything from pale yellow to deep gold. In both red and white wines, colour is an indication of body (intensity of flavor). The lighter the colour the lighter the body and vice versa. In wines as in diamonds, colour and clarity are measures of soundness.

After this visual treat it is time for the olfactory appraisal. Hold the base or the stem of the glass and twirl the glass. The wines should swirl about and release its bouquet. Raise the glass and smell it. You will over time learn to recognize the smell that is technically called aroma- the smell of the grape rather than the wine. In doing so, you may follow one of two schools of thought, the first opting for a quick first impression sniff followed by a deeper one, the second opting for a deeper sniff the first time around.

Aromas :

The normal types of aromas you can expect to find are :

1. Herbs and spices

2. Flowers

3. Fruits

4. Smells associated with deserts

5. Earthy, woody scents

6. Unpleasant smells