How to Taste Wine

Written on April 27th, 2016

STEP 1 – SEE the wine

Tilt your wine glass 45 degrees over a white sheet of paper. As a general rule, light-bodied, more elegant wines will generally have a lighter colour. A heavier more full-bodied wine will be darker and more opaque.

Note down the wines colour; is it clear & bright?

STEP 2 – SWIRL the wine

Hold the glass by the stem and gently swirl the wine.

This releases the aromas from the glass and will allow you to do step 3 much more easily.

STEP 3 – SNIFF the wine

Your nose is much more sensitive to the aromas and flavours in wine.

It’s where you’ll register more the pleasurable nuances whilst drinking your wine.

Record the aromas you can detect, is the wine fruity? Are there any spice notes?

STEP 4 – SLURP the wine

Your mouth is sensitive to five basic sensations. So as per step 3 we need to get your nose involved by picking out the delicate aromas and flavours. Take a small sip of wine and tilt your head forward. Purse your lips like you’re sucking through an imaginary straw, then draw a stream of air over the wine and make a distinctive slurping noise. This process aromatises the wine and gets the vapours up into your nose, releasing lots of flavour.

What can you taste? Does it mirror what you can smell? Are there extra flavours?

STEP 5 – SENSATIONS describe the wine

This is where we describe the wine – what flavours can you taste? Is the white wine crisp and refreshing or creamy and spicy? Is the red wine light and summer fruited, or dark, brooding and loaded with spice? What foods will partner up? Do you need to buy a second bottle…?

Draw up a conclusion about the wine.