Sight Hold the glass up to the light. What we are looking for is clarity and colour. All wines should be bright and clean, free of particles or sediment. Mark down hazy or cloudy wines. White wines have a range of colours from water white to deep golden depending on sugar content and maturity.
Red wines range from dense purple to pale cherry depending on grape variety and age.
Against a white background, tilt the glass slightly and see how the wine changes colour. The wine may be deep ruby at its centre, but where its rim touches the glass it may be brick, orange, mahogany or even water white. Diminishing density of hue is a sign of age. A red wine that holds its colour to the edge is a young wine. A browning edge may suggest that the wine is too old or oxidized.