Swirling wine in your glass - for what and why?

Since a considerable part of enjoying wine lays in its aroma - it's wise to swirl your glass, so that the area of the wine's contact with air becomes greater. This will allow the wine's aromatic properties to leave the wine and gather above its surface, opening it up.

Not all wines require intense swirling. Some older wines need to be handled with more subtlety and care. Even some young wines don't need to be swirled for long periods of time. One or two swirls are sometimes enough, after which the wine can rest and slowly begin to open up from all sides.