How to Taste Wine in 5 Simple Steps
In order to choose a good wine, tasting is the perfect way to go about it, as it’s always better not to be caught unprepared. Whether you’re a novice trying to get into the world of wine tasting or an experienced enthusiast looking for some expert advice, learning how to taste and appreciate wine can be extremely rewarding. Taste is subjective, but with a few simple steps anyone can learn how to discern subtle differences in aroma and flavour from one bottle of vino to another. In this blog post, we will take you through 5 easy-to-follow tips on deciphering between complexities that make up the perfect sip!.
Wine Tasting Tip #1: How to pour wine
Your glass should be filled 1/3 of the way, it is important to hold the glass by the stem and keeping it slightly inclined.
Wine Tasting Tip #2: How to hold the glass during a tasting
Wine Tasting Tip #3: Rotation of the glass
The glass should be held by the stem or even by the base in order to prevent your hand heating the wine. Alternatively, the glass may be held by the bowl if it is deemed necessary to heat it, in instances where the wine has been served too cold.
While holding glass by the stem, slowly rotate the glass so as to “win the walls”, wetting the inner walls of the glass. Why is this done? To find out the viscosity and alcohol content of the wine. If the wine flows very quickly, it is a light wine (this is the case with many white wines). If many narrow and slower arches of the wine are formed, the wine is more full-bodied, structured and may have a higher content of alcohol.
Wine Tasting Tip #4: Olfactory Test
The first tasting takes place with the nose. Smell the wine by holding the glass still and tilted towards the nose. Inhale slowly and deeply by pulling your nose away after a few seconds so as to notice the flavor and identifying notes of the wine you are about to taste. If there is a need for a second olfactory test, it is necessary to carry out a wide rotation of the wine which will give it the opportunity to release aromatic compounds and volatile substances.
The scent of a wine can be full, noble, pronounced, delicate, subtle, tenuous, fleeting etc. In general, wine tastings are associated by analogies with properties found in nature, thus we have aromatic, spicy, fruity, toasted wines, minerals, herbaceous etc.
Wine Tasting Tip #5: The test of the palate
The last step is the actual tasting. Tasting involves taking a sip of wine and keeping it in your mouth, which is much needed in order to allow your taste buds and palate to perceive its flavor, intensity and tactile sensations. In this way you will be able to understand if it is a sweet, soft, wild, velvety, angular, pungent, astringent, fresh, acidulous, light wine etc.
Wine should be tasted twice, as the second tasting is done by incorporating some air with a sip of wine to amplify the gustatory perceptions. After swallowing, stop for 10 – 15 seconds to understand the aftertaste.
