DO:Tilt your glass at a 45 to 30 degree angle over a neutral white surface (your white tasting mat!).
DO:Tilt your glass at a 45 to 30 degree angle over a neutral white surface (your white tasting mat!).  Look through the glass to the core (heart) of the wine, and the meniscus (the rim).  Don’t hold the wine in the air or over a colored surface!  Background colors distort your color assessment.  Look through the core. Can you see the writing on the mat or evaluation sheet behind it? Can you read it? How well? Is the meniscus thin or wide? Is it watery or does it carry highlights of other colors?