An experienced eye can identify certain qualities and faults simply by looking. It is always useful to study a wine before you actually taste it.

Should I look at the colour?

Yes, and not simply because it looks nice... A wine's colour can also help us to estimate its age. Place the glass on a white surface. Tip the glass as far as possible and study the edge of the liquid, where you can see a blend of different shades. In the case of a red wine, a purple tone indicates a young wine. A more orange colour is a sign of age. Between the two are various shades of red. The same principle applies to whites, which are often pale yellow or green in their youth before maturing towards more amber tones.

What does it mean if a red is very dark?

The darker a wine (we also say that it has an intense or deep robe), the more tannins it contains. It is therefore highly likely that it will have a concentrated and powerful flavour.

Where do the colourless droplets on the sides of a glass come from?

These droplets are produced by a complex phenomenon based on the difference in surface tension between water and alcohol. All you need to remember is that a wine that produces a lot of droplets has a high alcohol content. But that does not necessarily mean that it is good!