Just this morning, while tasting a bunch of red wines, I caught myself reflecting on my particular tasting process, the first move being the observing of the color and weight (or viscosity) of the wine in the glass and I realized how much that first test of appearance influenced my appreciation of a particular wine

In the natural order of things, it is obvious that the first sense brought into play by wine is the sense of sight, and for me, there is much more to it than a beguiling or beautiful color: I can tell whether the wine is young or old, full bodied or light, immature, approaching its peak, going downhill or out of condition; the color can give a clue to the style of the wine, the varietal and sometimes even the area from which it comes.

Generally speaking dry young white wines look cool, fresh, mouthwatering, inviting; sweet white wines have a golden hue, anticipating their honeyed richness of smell and taste, as for the reds, the variations are endless: from the light, pink purple of fresh young Beaujolais, through claret garnet, to the rich robe of a great Burgundy; then for a rosé it can vary from the pale onion-skin of Provence, the orange pink of Anjou to the pink red of the Rhone Tavels.