Whether you’re a novice just starting to explore your love of wine or a seasoned sipper looking to brush up on your tasting skills, a proper wine tasting is an essential part of the experience. Learning the basics of wine tasting can help you make more informed decisions when shopping for bottles and ensure that you get the most out of every glass. From identifying different flavors in your pour to selecting the ideal pairing for each meal, here’s everything you need to know about wine tasting for beginners.
3 MAIN PHASES IN WINE TASTING
Tasting wine starts before you even take your first sip. When presented with a glass, begin by giving it a visual inspection — observe its color and clarity, then swirl it around to coat the sides of your glass. Pay attention to its “legs” — droplets that form along the sides after swirling — as their size and speed can indicate both sweetness and alcohol content. Once you have taken in its appearance, move onto scenting; give it a few good sniffs and note any aromas that stand out to you. Finally, take a small sip and roll it around your mouth before swallowing so that all parts of your tongue get a chance to taste it. Afterward, identify any additional flavors or textures that stand out before taking another sip if desired.
The Appearance
This is the appearance of the wine in the glass. The visual phase of the tasting provides the first information about the wine. We look at the color, appearance and luminosity. Use a white background for the best result.
WINE COLOR
RED WINE The shades of the wine can vary and indicate can vary and indicate the age of the wine, maturity of the grape, concentration of the wine.
WHITE WINE The shades can vary for various reasons and provide indications indications about the aging of the wine.
ROSE WINE The color comes from the skin of the red grape. The shades will depend on the maceration time of the grape.
The Nose
The olfactory phase of the tasting allows us to appreciate the wine's qualities and defects of the wine through two ways: direct nasal way (or olfaction) and retronasal way. During this phase, the aromas and the intensity of the bouquet are detected. Aromas are classified as primary, secondary and tertiary.
According to their origin, we group wine aromas into three groups:
Primary aromas, they come from the grape itself and its variety. Without shaking the glass, bring the nose closer and sniff to perceive the aromatic intensity.
Secondary aromas, Come from the winemaking and fermentation. Shake the glass with a gentle swirling motion gently to facilitate and intensify the release of secondary aromas. the release of the secondary aromas. Dip the nose.
Tertiary aromas, Come from the aging and ageing of the wine. Shake the glass with more energy to oxygenate the wine better oxygenate the wine and better appreciate the nuances.
The Palate
It defines the sensations of a wine in the mouth and allows the identification of the different flavors present in the wine. It assesses the intensity, body, harmony and persistence of flavors in wines.
Defines the sensations of a wine in the mouth and allows the identification of the different flavors present in the wine. It assesses intensity, body, harmony and persistence.
First step
Put a small volume of wine in the mouth and observe the first sensations. Result: Dry, sweet, salty, sour, bitter.
Second step
Half-open the lips and breathe in lightly to aerate the wine. Swirl the wine with the tongue 3-4 seconds from one side of the mouth to the other to highlight aromas and texture. Result: Wheel of aromas, body, texture, astringency. The wine can be light, ample, balanced, velvety, etc.
Third step
After drinking or spitting the wine, analyze the lingering aromas. Result: Short, medium, long, very long.
With this guide under your belt now all there is left for you do is practice! The key takeaway here is that there is no right answer when it comes to how one should taste their wines so don't be afraid explore new possibilities in order find what works best for you! Happy sipping everyone! Cheers!
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