Back to the Basics: A Beginners Guide to Wine Tasting
Whether you have just entered the world of wine, or you have worked in the industry for years, it is always important to keep in mind the basic 101 resources that will round out your wine knowledge. Letβs break it down.
ππππ π: Change up the way you SHOP for wine!
First and foremost, you must purchase your wine bottle, which can be a daunting task in itself. Do you ever feel lost walking around the liquor store, not knowing which aisle or region to go down? If this sounds like you, my first piece of advice is to ask for help! Find a private importer or someone who knows about wine to help you shop. By using a private importer, you are opening up your world of wine to a much broader body of knowledge.
STEP 2: To begin the tasting experience, we first have to POUR the wine!
I often get asked the question of how much wine should one pour? While the proper answer is to fill the glass 1/3 of the way to allow room to swirl, this is based entirely on personal preference.
STEP 3: LOOK at the wine!
Looking at a wine helps us make predictions about the wine and its taste! When looking at your wine, make sure to get descriptive. Ask yourself the following:- Is the colour of your wine VIBRANT or DULL?- Is there SEDIMENT (or residue/particles) in your wine?(ps. If there is- that is ok! It doesnβt mean the wine has gone bad, but it may be a sign that this wine would benefit from decanting)- Is your wine CLOUDY or CLEAR? Can you see through it?- What kind of COLOURS do you see?
STEP 4: SWIRL
Have you ever wondered why people swirl their wine? On top of it looking extremely cool and sophisticated, swirling is actually done to get oxygen into the wine. The wine begins to 'open up' which allows more intense aromas to come from your glass. Oxygen also 'lets the wine breathe' which softens up super tannic (dry) and older wines.
STEP 5: Time to SMELL
When smelling your wine, there are 2 key aspects that are crucial to this experience. First, try your best to keep an OPEN mind. Secondly, do not let yourself get hung up or frustrated with one smell. Ask yourself the following:- Can you smell any fruits? - Can you smell any herbs?β \- Can you smell any flowers?- How about any food?- Smell any sweetness?
Remember that when smelling wine, there is no such thing as a wrong answer! Our sense of smell is linked closely with our memory (more than any other sense) so what we smell will be different and unique to everybody.
STEP 6: Sip slowly⦠and Practice!
When tasting wines, we want to sensibly SIP. Take a small sip of wine and hold it in the middle of your tongue, swish the wine around your mouth and inhale slowly. Allow your taste buds to really take in all of the aromas and flavours happening inside the wine. Take your time and take notes of what flavours and feelings you are tasting and experiencing. Ask yourself:
- How is the wines texture?- Is it soft, smooth, heavy, coarse?- What notes are you enjoying about the wine?- Is there sweetness?- Is there dryness?- And most importantly... Do you like the wine? β
Answering these questions, will better help you in shaping your palate so that you know your preferences. Based on that, you can draw conclusions on what regions and flavours you want to explore next. Remember... the more you taste, the more information you have to work with!β