How to Taste Wine Like a Pro
February 1, 2011
If you’ve ever snickered at people who swirl their wine incessantly, you won’t any longer.
Wine tasting is not the same as drinking it. To experience the true flavour of a wine–like a pro– slow down and pay attention to your senses of sight, smell, touch, as well as taste.
Remember – There are no right or wrong descriptions of how a wine tastes or smells. Everyone’s palate is unique.
Cheers!
- Swirl the glass and then hold it at a 45-degree angle above a white table cloth or white paper to determine its color.
- Place your nose over the top of wine glass after swirling and inhale deeply to determine the nose of the wine. Take your time; there’s no need to rush.
- Tip up the glass. Take a small mouthful of wine, breathing in through your mouth at the same time. Rotate the wine around your palate. Swallow. Stop. Wait at least 30 seconds. Take your time, then verbalize what you just experienced.
- Keep pace with the other tasters in your group. When they’re looking at the color, for example, also be looking at the color. When they’re exploring the nose and the aroma, also explore the nose and the aroma. When they’re tasting, taste. You get the idea.
- Do not criticize, ridicule, judge, or reject how someone else interprets wine. Wine tasting is subjective; there are no “rights” or “wrongs.”
- If you must have another beverage with you, bring only water. No sodas, coffee, tea, juice, and so on.
- Always take notes of what you discover on the nose and taste, and what other people discover as well. Compare notes and learn from each other.
- Have fun!
Don’t be surprised to hear some very odd, but genuine, taste and aroma descriptors. They include things like: horsey, mossy, flabby, stewed, yeasty, candied, barnyard, baked, jammy, and zippy. Check out a full list of wine descriptors here.
Cheers!
photo credit: Dave Morrison
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