Why do people toast with a light tap? The Olympian gods sought to elevate wine from mere consumption to a sacred level. Therefore, this divine (indeed, god-pleasing) act required that all of the gods\’ senses be alerted. Imagine Zeus holding a goblet of wine in his hand–touch, admiring the color of the wine–sight, smelling–smell, and finally drinking–taste. But what about hearing? Unless Zeus\’ cronies are happily munching away, Zeus can\’t hear anything. Besides, munching is not exactly divine etiquette. The easiest solution was to lightly sniff the other gods so as not to bore his hearing. 
Humans were curious creatures, at the forefront of primates, and thus capable of imitation, not only discovering and imitating, but also improving upon it. An essential condition for the above ritual is to make eye contact when clinking glasses to make the toast more sincere. If anyone forgets to make eye contact during the toast, it is your sacred duty to call upon that person to make amends. In some parts of beautiful Moravia, the first word is “Eyes” and the second word is …… In short, it is not flattering, but very forceful, short, and provocative in two words.
Now let\’s try an imaginary tasting, or feast. The lucky reader has seven bottles of wine on hand at this very moment. That\’s less than half a pint. First, let\’s look at the color of the wine. Sunlight, room lighting, candles, whatever light source illuminates the glass. In the case of white wine, you will see a fresh, sparkling golden hue; in the case of red wine, you will see a spectrum of reds, from clear vermilion to dark nach, depending on the type. If a wine does not have sparkle, it is not drinkable. Rotate the wine slowly but effectively in the glass. For red wines, allow the sample to aerate and breathe in this way. Listing the types of aromas that can be sniffed out would take up a lot of space, and each type has some characteristics. The important thing is that the wine should be free of aromas, pleasant to the nose and inviting to the palate.
Now put your finger on it. Are you tasting it yourself? Tasting with a friend takes on a whole different dimension. You share your discoveries, inspired by similar messages from your fellow wine drinkers. Next time. This time, take a sip. But don\’t swallow, let the wine “roll” around in your mouth. It is full of flavor. Don\’t let them tell you what kind of wine they like. If a not-so-cheap wine is presented by the label as the Champion of Champions, but you don\’t like it, it is neither your fault nor the bottle\’s contents. It\’s just that your tastes lie elsewhere. Residual sugar and acidity content is a useful guide to finding your favorite wine. However, do not give in to first impressions. The first glass is not the deciding factor. What matters is whether you taste the second glass. One last piece of advice. Wine should be enjoyed. Hangovers and rotting stomachs are not part of it. If they are, they should be avoided.