Have you ever stood next to someone at a wine tasting bar who kept uttering words like bouquet, clarity, earthy, crisp, spicy, zesty ... and so on?

Did you wonder what in the heck they were talking about? Well, here's your opportunity to learn how to 'wine-speak' with the experts!

First, purchase a bottle of white wine (e.g., Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc) and a bottle of red wine (e.g., Syrah, Merlot) from wine.com, your local wine retailer, or the grocery store - something in the $10-$15 range (see suggestions below).

Chill the white wine to about 50° and leave the red wine at room temperature (~60°).

Pour the wine into an ordinary wine glass - an inch or less is best (definitely no more than one-quarter full). Then, holding the glass by its stem, gently swirl the wine. This aerates the wine and releases the aroma (bouquet) of the wine.

Take a sniff. You might want to put your nose inside the glass to get a more defined sense of the smell. Or try moving the glass ever so gently so the aroma wafts up to your nose. Pay close attention to what you smell. You might even want to close your eyes so you can fully concentrate on the scent.

Try to identify the odor. Is it fruity like grapes, apples, melons, oranges, or perhaps grapefruit? You might even notice a grassy fragrance, like a freshly mown lawn. These are common aromas of white wines. If the Chardonnay has been aged in oak, you may even pick up a buttery or fig scent.

Most red wines have a fragrance reminiscent of berries but in Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot, you may also pick up woody smells like cedar or pine needles, or sometimes chocolate will come to mind. Syrah often has a floral scent. Zinfandel is spicy and may make you think of ground black pepper.

Now take a sip. Get all your taste buds involved by running the wine around your tongue. Don't swallow just yet. Think for a moment about the flavor. Many times, the flavor will match the aroma, but sometimes you'll distinguish new elements. The taste of the white wine may remind you of orange blossoms or peaches. The red wine may taste like blackberries or strawberry jam or coffee, or even tobacco.

Use whatever words come to mind as you experience the aroma and flavor. There are no wrong answers when it comes to describing wine. It's whatever helps you to remember a certain wine (even if it reminds you of a new car smell!)

After you swallow the wine, notice the 'feel' of the wine in your mouth. Does it feel crisp or zesty? Or is it smooth, like velvet?

Do you notice an aftertaste? Sometimes this is an extension of the flavor, but it may bring to mind something entirely different. Also notice how long the flavor lingers. A long, pleasant aftertaste, where all the components of the wine are in balance, is a sign of a quality wine.

So there you have it. Now you can stand next to those people at the wine bar, raise your pinky, and toss around words like fruity, floral, earthy, and smoky along with the best of them!

Acetic: The wine has a vinegar-like taste or smell. Caused from exposure to air.

Astringent: Describes a high tannin content in a red wine -- produces a dry, puckering effect.

Balance: A balanced wine has a relative degree of fruity quality, acidity, tannins, alcohol, and other characteristics.

Cooked: Wine has a prunish flavor, usually from excessive heat.

Corked: The wine smells of cork, usually from a cracked or seeping cork that allows the introduction of air or fungi. (Yuk!)

Dry: The opposite of a sweet wine.

Fruity: Wine has the aroma and/or flavor of apples, grapes, currants, pears, etc.

Green: The wine has a tart flavor.

Honeyed: The smell or taste of the wine is reminiscent of honey. (Can be characteristic of wines affected by 'noble rot.')

Nutty: Wine has a nutlike aroma. Often found in sherry or aged whites.

Oakey: The aroma of a wine that has been aged in oaken casks.

Sweet: Determined by the residual sugar (from fermentation) that's in the wine.

Woody: The wine has the aroma or taste of aging barrels.

Yeasty: The wine smells similar to bread. Yeasts are introduced to carry out fermentation and can be incompletely removed.

Wine, like anything else, changes over time. That's why, when storing wine, it's important to produce desirable changes and avoid harmful ones. You can do this by controlling the air, temperature, light, vibration, and humidity of the wine.

Nothing spoils good wine faster than too much air. This not only causes it to lose freshness but, more importantly, it causes the wine to oxidize. This results in premature aging and before long, you have vinegar instead of wine (yuk!). Fortunately, glass is impermeable to air and a good cork will keep air exchange to a minimum for years.

To ensure proper aging, all wine has some air in the bottle to begin with. What's important is to ensure the cork remains moist so no additional air in allowed to enter the bottle. That's why it's advised to store your wine horizontally to keep the cork from cracking or shrinking, thus admitting unwanted air.

In addition, storing wine at around 70 percent humidity will help to keep the cork properly moistened (too low humidity dries it out; higher humidity encourages growth of mold and mildew).

Many people don't realize the importance of the cork in a wine bottle, but it does play a major role in ensuring your wine stays fresh and ages properly.

TEMPERATURE

Proper temperature is another major factor is ensuring your wine stays drinkable before you open it. If a wine is stored in conditions that are too cold, it causes the cork to shrink (thus letting in air). If the conditions are too warm, the wine will age faster than it should.

The optimum temperature for storing wine is 50 to 55°F (10-12°C). However, any constant temperature within 40-65°F (5-18°C) is acceptable. Many people store their wine in cellars to maintain these temperatures, but small collections can be kept in wine cabinets, which come in all sizes and styles to fit your personal tastes.

Almost as important as the actual temperature is the rate of temperature change. A ten degree change over a season is harmless, but frequent and rapid changes can severely damage wine, even when stored within the desired range.

LIGHT

Along with controlling temperature and humidity, light exposure should be kept to a minimum. Though modern bottles have good UV filters, some can still penetrate - leading to a condition called 'light struck. This shows up as an unpleasant aroma. Incandescent bulbs produce less ultraviolet light than fluorescents, so the former are preferable.

VIBRATION

Vibration interferes with aging and stirs up sediments. Try to avoid moving bottles until ready to be served.

Interestingly, bottle size also plays a part in storing wine (albeit a rather small part). A larger bottle has a smaller ratio of air to wine so when you can, purchase or use a larger bottle. Once the bottle has been opened and if you don't expect to consume the remainder in a few days, it's suggested that you transfer the leftover wine to a smaller bottle.

Generally speaking, if you're a casual drinker (not a collector) and drink your wine within one year after purchase, you can store wine just about anywhere that is not exposed to light or heat (basement, closet, pantry, under the sink).

Following are some types of wine and the approximate period they should be aged for optimal flavor. In general, more expensive wines are designed to be aged longer. Cheaper wines (usually under $10) should be consumed within six months to a year from when you buy it. Also, red wines generally age better than white wines.

Cabernet Sauvignon
$12-$15 - 5-7 years
$25 - 7-15 years

Merlot
$12-25 - 3-4 years
$25 - 5-12 years

Syrah/Shiraz
$12-25 - 3-5 years

Chardonnay
$12-25 - Consume within 5 years

California Riesling
$12-25 - Consume within 3-4 years