You can tell much about a wine simply by studying its appearance. The wine should be poured into a clear glass and held in front of a white background (a tablecloth or piece of paper will serve nicely) so that you can examine the colour.

The colour of wine varies tremendously, even within the same type of wine. For example, white wines are not actually white; they range from green to yellow to brown. Paler whites are lighter. More colour usually indicates more flavour and age, although a brown wine may have gone bad. Where as time improves many red wines, it ruins most white wine. Red wines are not just red; they range from a pale red to a deep brown red, usually becoming lighter in colour as they age.

Rim colour: You can guess the age of a red wine by observing its "rim". Tilt the glass slightly and look at the edge of the wine. A purple tint may indicate youth while orange to brown indicates maturity.

Swirling: Swirling the wine serves many purposes, but visually it allows you to observe the body of the wine. "Good legs" may indicate a thicker body and a higher alcohol content and/or sweetness level.