Tasting Wine

Tasting wine can be a tricky process and is not learnt over night. You could be told by a million different cellar door managers what to look for and still walk out as confused as when you walked in. Wine is a complex beverage but with these handy tips, I hope I can make the process a little more palatable for you so you get the most out of your next wine tasting session.

Here’s a few pointers to taste wine the way the experts do. You don’t have to use this system with every sip, all the time — just when you want to really examine the taste and typical characteristics of a particular wine group. Remember practise makes perfect so remember these tips and the process of describing smells and taste in wine will become easier — and more importantly, a lot of fun!

Smell the wine.

Rotate your glass on the wine tasting counter swishing around the wine so it mixes with air. After about ten full circle swishes stop and bring the glass immediately to your nose (those with large noses take care not to break the glass) and inhale deeply so you you feel the vapours. Notice how strong or subtle the wine’s aroma is; then try to describe in your mind what it is you smell. Wine is often compared to many other fruits (don't say grapes like a dad joke), floral notes, spices, herbs, sometimes chocolate :-) and so forth.

Taste the wine.

Take a medium-sized sip and swish it around your mouth breathing in and out noticing its texture (whether it feels firm or soft) and its weight and body (how heavy or light it feels on your tongue). The flavors can be similar to the aromas you may smelled or may be completely different. That's the the beauty of wine. Don't let the description on the bottle tell you what you are tasting, describe for yourself then see if it matches up with the common descriptors from the winemakers (you may surprise yourself on how close you get sometimes)

Swallow or spit.

If you’re tasting several wines (or driving!), you may want to keep a straight head and spit the wine out. This is more than acceptable so don't worry. But if you’re in for the full experience of a great days wine tasting swallowing is also fine. As the wine exits your mouth, try to notice whether the flavors persist across the whole length of your mouth (length) or whether they stop short halfway through the process. Those that do stop short are typically classed as flawed and inexpensive wines. Those wines that carry their flavor farther across your mouth are considered "fine wines".

Remember wineries are businesses supporting the local community and are there to sell wines. They very kindly open their doors to the public and make up to an average of 70% of their wines available for a free tasting at their cellar doors. Whilst nothing is written in stone, it is widely accepted in the tourism industry that it's important to support this very generous arrangement with a purchase of at least one bottle of wine per tasting session.