Whether you are a novice, a pro or somewhere in between, we have eight great tips for you on how to properly taste wine at a wine tasting event.
- Learn the proper way to hold the glass
Hold the glass by the stem or by the base. Holding the glass on the bowl where the wine sits is incorrect, as your body heat will warm up the drink inside.
- Look at the wine in your glass
Tilt your glass so you may evaluate the color of the wine correctly. This will allow you to gauge the age of the wine. White wines become darker as they age, while red wines lose their colour, turning more brownish.
- Swirl the wine in your glass
Hold your glass by the stem and swirl your wine in the glass. The reason for doing this is done to increase the surface area of the wine, allowing the vapours to escape, releasing the primary and secondary aromas.
- Note the viscosity of the wine
Viscosity refers the liquid consistency of the wine. Wines with high viscosity tend to cling to the side of a wine glass longer than wines with lower alcohol and lower viscosity. The colour of the wine, both when still and when swirled, gives hints to its density, the type and quality of the grape, and the condition of the wine.
- Sniff the wine
Smelling the wine provides you and preview to what the wine might taste like and may give you an idea if the wine is of higher or lower alcohol density.
- Take a sip of the wine
There are different taste buds at different places in your mouth. Therefore, roll the wine around in your mouth, so you can get an idea of the different flavours of the wine. Pay attention to the texture and whether the wine is sweet, sour, or salty.
- Write down your experience
Note the aftertaste and what your entire wine experience is. Everyone perceives wine differently, so it is great to document your thoughts on each wine tried and tasted.
- Enjoy!
Wine was made to be enjoyed, so once you know what the whole wine experience is like and how to properly taste it, why not try the technique with a few more wines!
Tips from Wineweb