Enjoy French wine

Do you like wine? It’s a very popular alcoholic drink in many countries. In this lesson, we will study some basic vocabulary related to the wine industry.
white wine: a clear, dry type of wine made from white grapes (vin blanc)
red wine: a dark, deeper type of wine made from dark colored grapes (vin rouge)
tannin: an astringent substance that occurs in wine  (tanin)
full-bodied: a thicker wine with a complex taste (corsé)
finish:  the flavor that is left in your mouth the moment you swallow the wine (arrièr-gôut)
to let it breathe: to pour wine out of its bottle to let it take in oxygen  (laisser respirer)
barrel: a wooden container used to storing wine during a year or more to let it properly age  (tonneau)
oak: a specific type of tree very popular to use in barrels to age wine (chêne)
a hint of: when a wine or another food substance contains another taste (une pointe, un gout)
cork: the special wood used to close the bottle of wine (bouchon)
to taste: to try a food or beverage (goûter)
Do you like wine? Wine is a very complicated beverage which can require some education to “properly” enjoy. However, there is controversy over just how one should try or enjoy wines. Some say that to be a proper wine consumer you must educate yourself (or be educated about) the various wines you have available. Others say you should just pick up your own bottles of wine and make your own decisions about what is good and what is bad. What do you do?
What is your favorite: white wine, which tends to be dryer and fruitier or red wine which tends to be stronger? They say white wines are best paired with fish or white meats while red wine is great with red meats. My favorite wine is a full bodied red wine paired with a hearty midday Spanish meal. The only problem with the red wine is that you have to be careful with the tannins in it. If you drink too much you’ll get a bad headache!
If you decide to do a proper wine tasting, you ought to have a few factors in consideration. First, some people who understand wine like to smell the cork to see if the wine is ok. Later, experts recommend you let the wine breathe before consuming it in order to get the correct level of oxygen into the wine. Third, you should clean your mouth so that you can taste the wine better. Once you’re ready, take a sip of the wine and appreciate the flavors. What is the finish like? What flavor does it leave in your mouth? Can you tell whether it was aged in an oak barrel or not? Some people can even tell if it was aged in American or French oak! Can you taste a hint of any other flavor in the wine? Flavors people commonly cite in red wines include red berries, smoke, and chocolate. What do you think?
Do you prefer to enjoy wine or to carefully taste it?