How to Taste Wine
Swirl, sip and taste wine like a pro!
Tasting wine involves a few basic steps that can help you appreciate and understand the different flavors, aromas, and characteristics of the wine. This technique is easy to learn and each new wine you try is an opportunity to practice your skills. Here are some steps to follow to help you learn how to taste wine:
Look at the wine:
Begin by examining the wine’s color, clarity, and viscosity. The color can tell you a lot about the wine, such as its age, grape variety, and potential flavor profile.
Smell the wine:
Swirl the wine in your glass to release its aroma. Put your nose to the glass and take a deep breath. Try to identify the different scents you can smell, such as fruit, flowers, or spices. Make a few notes as you go
Taste the wine:
Take a small sip of the wine and let it sit in your mouth for a few seconds before swallowing. This will help you pick up on the different flavors and textures of the wine, such as acidity, sweetness, tannins, and body. Evaluate the wine: After swallowing the wine, evaluate its aftertaste or finish. How long do the flavors linger in your mouth? Is there any bitterness or acidity? How balanced are the wine’s flavors?
Repeat: Take another sip and repeat the process, noting any changes or nuances in the wine’s flavor profile as it opens up. This time try aerating the wine by sucking it into your mouth as if you are drinking out of a straw and swill it around your mouth.
Write down any notes you are tasting in the wine using the below diagram for inspiration.
Conclusion:
By following these basic steps, you can learn how to taste wine and develop a better understanding and appreciation of different types of wine. Wine tasting has a stigma of being a complex art form but its really not. The more wines you try to actively decode using the simple steps above, the more you will understand about wine. Learning about wine is a joy and should never be taken too seriously so have fun with it.
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