With endless grape varietals, regions and an ever-evolving wine lexicon, the world of wine can feel daunting and intimidating to break into. However, understanding the basics of wine tasting etiquette and vocabulary goes a long way towards feeling more confident ordering a bottle or analyzing flavors on your palate. Follow this beginner’s guide to wine tasting techniques, tips and terms to start flexing your wine connoisseur analysis skills in no time.
Starting with the Basics
Wine tasting stems from slowing down to explore and appreciate all the nuances that emerge from the glass. Begin by noting the color and clarity first before bringing it to your nose. Swirl the glass first to increase interaction between wine and air, enabling aromatic compounds called “esters” to reach receptors.
Tasting notes refer to descriptive words conveying attributes detected through senses. Common examples include dark cherry, vanilla, clove for reds and pear, citrus, honey for whites. Jot down 2-3 traits that linger to train your senses. Use them to identify patterns among regions, grapes or aging methods on subsequent tastings.
The flavor on your palate often varies slightly from the nose. Let the wine spread to coat the tongue for full-exposure before aerating through the mouth. Pay attention to acidity, tannins, sweetness, alcohol and how they're balanced. Specificity helps compare so tag each sensation - “crisp acidity”, “grippy tannins”.
Tasting is a personal experience influenced by physiology and memories so don’t get caught up or intimidated by obscure descriptors you don't relate to. With a little practice and these foundations, decoding a wine's flavor profile and learning your preferences becomes a fun, confidence-building part of wine appreciation. Salute!
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