Wine drinking is a delight. Well, usually. Except when it’s not. Wine-tasting is part art; part science. It’s a sensory journey that goes beyond simply drinking. It’s about exploring, understanding, and seeking the nuances of wine with one primary goal: identify the wines you like. The second goal might even be to share what you like with other people you like. Sure, it can also be used to identify quality, impress others, or establish word dominance – but really, then it’s a weird weapon, and that’s just gross.
So, let me share some practical tips and insights to enhance your experience. You’ll learn how to identify wine notes and flavors, understand how to taste wine, and perhaps develop a new curiosity to follow.
Whether you’re a seasoned wine enthusiast or a beginner, this guide is for you. If you are a self proclaimed snob or feel a deep desire to share news of your possession of a 19_ _ bottle of Chateau/Domaine/Cru/Reserve of the Unicorn Something, I say, “Congratulations! Sure, I’d love to share the bottle and hear about your fantastic capture of this rare creature!” And, the tasting nuggets in this guide may not be of interest to you!
Preparing for Your Wine-Tasting Journey
Before you start tasting, there are a few things to consider. Proper preparation can significantly enhance your experience. Choosing the right glassware, dressing appropriately, and creating a conducive environment are all crucial. These elements can influence your perception of the wine. They can also affect your ability to identify wine notes and flavors. Let’s delve into each of these aspects in more detail.
Glassware Matters
The glassware you use can impact your experience. Different types of wine work best in the appropriate types of glasses. Red wines are best served in larger, rounder glasses. This allows the wine to breathe and the flavors to develop. White wines, on the other hand, are best served in smaller, narrower glasses. This helps to preserve the wine’s temperature and aroma.
Unfortunately, plastic cups and tumblers are best left for other sipping delights…or perhaps just reserved for wine drinkin’ moments. Choosing the right glassware can enhance the wine’s flavors…as well as destroy them.
Personal Prepping for the Occasion
All those smelly good items you’ve carefully curated to present yourself can also affect your experience. Layered scents, perfumes or colognes, toothpaste and mouthwash can all interfere with your sense of smell, making it harder to identify wine notes.
You might also consider what you’ve sipped and munched on earlier in the day. Lingering tastes and smells like onion, garlic and coffee have some staying power and can also challenge your palate.
Creating a Conducive Tasting Environment
The environment in which you taste wine can influence your perception of it. If you’re tasting at home, a quiet, well-lit space is ideal. I personally find comfy pants and fuzzy socks also assist. This allows you to focus on the wine’s appearance, aroma, and taste without distractions. You also want to make sure the room temperature is comfortable. Extreme temperatures can affect the wine’s temperature (and your temperment) and, consequently, its taste.
Mood lighting is best reserved for date night; not so good for serious-ish wine tasting.
The Wine-Tasting Process: A Step-by-Step Guide
Wine-tasting is a sensory experience that involves sight, smell, and taste. It’s a systematic process that can be broken down into steps, often called the S’s of tasting wine. Typically are in the following order: sight, swirl, sniff, and sip. But, I’m not always great at following orders, so, I recommend sight, sniff, THEN swirl, sip – flip the sniff and swirl steps. Each step is important in understanding the wine’s characteristics and quality.
Step 1: Look – Assessing Wine Appearance
The first step is to look at the wine. Pour a small amount of wine into your glass and hold it against a white background. This allows you to assess the wine’s color and clarity. The color can give you clues about the wine’s age and grape variety. Colors can range from a pale greenish-yellow to deep gold for white wines; from a light garnet to a deep tawny burgundy for red wines.
Step 2: Sniff – Identifying Wine Notes
Your sense of smell plays a significant role in identifying wine notes. Bring the glass close to your nose, part your lips just a little, and move the glass (or your head) gently from side to side, breathing in with each nostril; one is usually more powerful than the other. Try to identify one or two different aromas. These can range from fruits and flowers to spices and herbs. Having a hard time identifying what you are smelling? Start with big categories and narrow from there.
Example:
Q: Do you smell earthy scents or fruity scents?
A: Fruit.
Q: Great! Is it citrus fruit (lemon/lime/grapefruit)? Or stone fruit (peach/apple/pear)? Tropical?
A: Citrus…lemon, I think.
Q: Great! Write that down. What else do you smell? Earth? More fruit? Flowers? And narrow again….
If you can’t identify the smells, it’s okay, just take a mental note of what you are smelling. And move on to Step 3.
Step 3: Swirl – Releasing the Aromas
Next, swirl the wine in your glass. Pay attention to the swirl – the swirl is actually a tool that is helping introduce air into the wine and rearranging the molecular structure of the wine and allowing aromatic nuances to come through. Remember, I mentioned science above – here’s a sciencey spot. This is called “volatizing the esters”. The aggressiveness of the swirl should fall between get the wine up a little inside the glass, but there doesn’t need to be a weather front happening in there. Wine should not be leaping out of the glass to escape either.
For New Swirlers…consider swirling your wine with the glass on the table with the base of the glass touching the table, so the wine doesn’t become confetti.
For Nervous Swirlers…those who feel the need to swirl aggressively repeatedly over and over and over and over again…settle down a little; there is no need to beat the wine into submission. It is possible to over-swirl, drowning the wine in air forcing the air to lose character.
If you still are having a hard time finding identifiable aromatics, swirl again while you put your hand over the top of the glass to capture the aromatics in the glass while you are swirling. Then, lift your hand away right when you get the glass to your nose.
Then return to Step 3 and sniff the wine again, learning more about how the wine has “opened” and offered new aromas for you to explore and identify. I tend to “sniff n’ swirl” three times when tasting a new wine as I’m getting to know it.
Step 4: Sip – Exploring Wine Flavors
Now, take a small sip of the wine. Keep the wine in your mouth with your head held level and let the wine roll around your tongue, become body temperature, then swallow. Different portions of your tongue identify different primary tastes: sweet, sour, bitter, and umami (savory).
And then…Savor
Finally, savor the wine. After swallowing, pay attention to the aftertaste, also known as the finish.
The finish can give you insights into the wine’s balance, complexity, and quality. But really, the big point here is to look for overall balance…and well, do you like it?
Developing Your Palate
Developing your palate is a big part of mastering wine-tasting. It involves training your taste buds to identify different flavors and textures. This process takes time and practice, but it’s an enjoyable journey of discovery. With each wine you taste, you’ll become more adept at recognizing subtle nuances and complexities.
Recognizing the Primary Flavors
Wine can exhibit primary flavors: sweet, sour, bitter, and umami. Sweetness is often associated with the presence of residual sugar in the wine. This is usually found mostly on the front of your tongue. Sourness, or acidity, gives a wine its crispness and freshness and is found on the sides of your tongue. Bitterness hangs out in the back of your tongue and is not a fault, just a description. Umami flavors are sometimes harder to identify and can seem like saltiness/saline but can be found in wine as well.
Identifying Balance and Complexity
Balance in wine refers to the harmony between its key components: sweetness, acidity, tannins, and alcohol. A well-balanced wine doesn’t have any one component overpowering the others. Complexity, on the other hand, refers to the depth and variety of flavors and aromas in the wine. A complex wine will reveal multiple layers of flavors as you taste it.
The Role of Texture and Mouthfeel
Texture and mouthfeel play a significant role in the experience. They refer to the physical sensations you feel in your mouth when you taste wine. This can include the wine’s body (light, medium, or full), the level of tannins (soft or grippy), and the sensation of alcohol (smooth or hot).
Wine-Tasting Etiquette and Techniques
Wine-tasting is not just about sipping wine. It’s a process that involves certain etiquette and techniques. These practices help you to fully appreciate the wine and enhance your tasting experience.
Let’s delve into some of these key aspects.
To Spit or Not to Spit Spitting wine during a tasting might seem odd. However, it’s a common practice, especially during professional tastings or when tasting multiple wines.
Spitting allows you to taste the wine without consuming too much alcohol.
Cleansing Your Palate For curiosity wine-tasting, graduating your palate with wines in an appropriate order from most mild to most bold; high acid to rounded, white to red, dry to sweet is your best bet. Each sip is preparing you for the next in a layered way. If you aren’t sure of the order, ask your wine merchant for their suggestion. Hint: those merchants with those recommendations are going to be found at your local wine and spirits shop where they know things about the business they own. They will not be found in the very large box chain stores where one can also buy toilet paper.
You may also decide to neutralize and prepare your taste buds for the next wine. Common palate cleansers include plain water, bread, and unsalted crackers.
Taking Effective Wine Notes Taking notes during can enhance your experience. It helps you remember the wines you’ve tasted and your impressions of them. Your notes can include details about the wine’s appearance, aroma, taste, and your overall impression.
Enhancing Your Wine-Tasting Experience
Wine-tasting is a journey of discovery. It’s about exploring different wines and understanding their unique characteristics. There are several ways to enhance your experience. Let’s explore some of them.
The Impact of Age, Terroir, and Winemaking Techniques The age of the wine, the terroir (area, soil, topography, and climate), and the winemaking techniques all impact the taste of the wine. Understanding these factors can help you appreciate the wine more. For instance, older wines often have more complex flavors compared to younger ones.
Pairing Food with Wine Pairing food with wine can greatly enhance your tasting experience. You may taste a wine without food and not like it. But pair it with the right food and it becomes a totally different wine experience. The right food can complement the wine’s flavors and create a harmonious taste. For example, a rich red wine might pair well with a hearty steak.
Attending Guided Wine-Tastings Attending guided wine-tastings can be a great way to learn more about wine. These events are often led by experts who can provide insights into the wines being tasted. It’s also a great opportunity to have fun, ask questions, and learn from others.
Advanced Wine-Tasting Topics As you delve deeper into wine-tasting, you’ll learn more about the complexities of wine. These can enhance your understanding and appreciation of wine. They can also help you make more informed choices when selecting wines.
Decoding Wine Labels and Vintage Information Wine labels can be a treasure trove of information. They can tell you about the wine’s origin, grape variety, and vintage. Understanding how to decode this information can enhance your wine-tasting experience.
Recognizing Common Wine Faults Not all wines are created equal. Some may have faults that can affect their taste and quality. Learning to recognize common wine faults can help you identify wines that may not be up to par.
Exploring the Influence of Oak Aging Oak aging can greatly influence a wine’s flavor and aroma. Wines aged in oak often have notes of vanilla, spice, and toast.
Understanding the influence of oak aging can help you appreciate these nuances in your wine-tasting journey.
Organizing and Sharing Your Wine Tasting Adventures Wine-tasting is not just a solitary pursuit. It can also be a social activity that brings people together. Sharing your wine-tasting adventures can enhance your enjoyment and understanding of wine. Let’s look at some ways to organize and share your wine-tasting experiences.
How to Organize a Wine-Tasting Event Organizing a wine-tasting event can be a fun and rewarding experience. You can choose a theme, such as wines from a specific region or grape variety. Remember to provide palate cleansers and ensure a comfortable, distraction-free environment for your guests.
Joining a Wine Club or Community Joining a wine club or community can provide opportunities to taste a variety of wines. You can also learn from others and share your own experiences. Look for local wine clubs or online communities that align with your interests.
Using Technology and Apps Technology can enhance your wine-tasting adventures. There are apps that can help you track your tastings, identify wines, and even pair wines with food.
These tools can make your wine-tasting experiences more organized and enjoyable.
Conclusion: Embracing the Wine Tasting Culture
Mastering the art of wine-tasting is a journey, not a destination. It’s about embracing the culture, learning continuously, and, most importantly, enjoying the experience. Remember, wine-tasting is subjective and personal. So, trust your palate, explore different wines, and celebrate the diversity and complexity that the world of wine offers.
Would you like to learn more about how to taste wine? Join us in our Curious Palate wine classes.