Wine Term: Pours
Variations: Color, Colour, Rim, Core
Alternate Usages: The wine pours, out of the bottle, in the glass, rim of, core of
What it really means: The way the wine looks in a wine glass
Is it clear, cloudy, bubbly, red, white, pink? Is it thin like water, or does it seem to coat the glass and have some viscosity? Is it lighter at the edge of the glass and darker towards the center? This is an important part of the wine experience – initially seeing the wine, in some cases, your first experience with the wine before smelling or tasting the product. A lot can be inferred here, both personally or professionally. If it is golden colored, clear and filled with bubbles, you’re one step closer to possibly enjoying true French Champagne, or being let down by some cheap imitation from somewhere else. If it is dark, dark red with only a little light coming through the edge of the glass and the center being a black hole vortex of any life at all, you might have a Napa Cab.
How to effectively use it:
Simply state that, “The wine pours [insert observations].”
It is caveman to say, “The wine looks clear yellow.” – even if you’re absolutely correct and a wine looks yellow in the glass and isn’t cloudy.
Try “the wine pours a clear yellow hue” or “yellow in color out of the bottle” or even “yellow in the glass” as alternative options.
As always, never forget the fluff:
Bad idea: “The wine is red.”
Better approach: “The wine pours dark red in the glass.”
Best approach (fluff time): “Pouring a beautiful deep red with a ruby hued rim in the glass.”
Now you’re winning at life and up for possible extra attention or freebies from those who hold your wine fate in their hands for the moment!