How to Taste Wine?
Wine tasting is an art, a delicate dance between the senses and the nectar in your glass. It’s an experience that goes far beyond simply drinking wine; it’s a celebration of the vine, the terroir, and the hard work of the winemaker who grew the grapes and the vintner who transformed them into wine. But how do you taste wine properly? In this article, I invite you to discover three essential steps for a wine tasting experience that will awaken your senses. So, grab your glass of Vully, sit back, and prepare for a journey into the art of wine tasting.
Preparation and Setting
- The quest for the perfect glass for wine tasting
Choosing the right glass is crucial for optimal tasting. The type of glass depends on the wine you’re tasting. For red wines, prefer glasses with a wide bowl and a large rim, allowing you to observe the wine’s color and smell its aromas. For white wines, smaller and narrower glasses are recommended to concentrate delicate aromas. - Creating the ideal environment for wine tasting
The environment in which you taste the wine is as important as the wine itself. A calm and comfortable setting, with soft lighting and a pleasant temperature, can enhance the tasting experience. Good company can also make the experience more enjoyable. - Preparation for tasting: essentials to consider
Before you start tasting, make sure you have everything you need at hand. This includes containers to spit the wine if necessary, a white tablecloth to observe the wine’s color, bread to cleanse your palate between tastings, and a notebook to jot down your impressions.
Learning the steps of wine tasting
Wine tasting is an art that requires practice and attention to detail. Here are the main steps for tasting wine:
1. Visual examination
- Look at the color of the wine. The color can give you clues about the wine’s age and type. For example, white wines darken with age, while red wines lose their color.
- Note the concentration of color and the variety of hues. These elements can give you hints about the wine’s intensity, grape variety, or age.
- Check the wine’s clarity. A cloudy wine may indicate a quality issue, though it could also be an unfiltered wine, which should be mentioned on the label.
2. Olfactory examination
- Smell the wine for the first time. Try to identify the different aromas you can detect. The aromas can vary depending on the type of wine, its age, and the production method.
- Then, swirl the wine in the glass to release its aromas and smell again.
- Try to identify at least two fruits and two other aromas before moving on to the next step.
3. Taste examination
- Take a small sip of wine and let it spread across your mouth. Ensure it covers your entire tongue before swallowing (or spitting).
- Try to distinguish the different flavors. Notice how the wine feels on the sides of your tongue to perceive acidity and at the back to detect bitterness.
- Reflect on the flavors you detected. Do they match the aromas you previously smelled?
- Try to name a fruit, a mineral, or a spice.
- Note if the wine has a burning sensation of alcohol. This may indicate a high alcohol content.
Evaluate and Enjoy the Wine
- Analyzing and rating: how to evaluate a wine
After tasting the wine, take a moment to analyze and write down your impressions. What aromas and flavors did you detect? Did you enjoy the wine? Remember that your appreciation of the wine is subjective and depends on your personal preferences. - Making decisions: choosing the right wine for you
Once you’ve analyzed the wine, it’s time to make decisions. What would you pair this wine with? With whom would you like to share it? Did you enjoy the wine enough to buy it and drink it again? - Using your observations to enhance your tasting experience
Finally, use your observations to assess new wines in the future. Each tasting is an opportunity to learn and discover new wines.
While the wine-tasting process may seem intimidating at first, with a bit of practice, it becomes a delicate dance of the senses, a pleasurable and enriching experience. Understanding how to taste wine can help you fully appreciate this experience. Ready to put your new wine-tasting skills into practice?
Ready to put your new wine-tasting skills into practice?
Book a tasting at caveguillod.ch and embark on a sensory journey through the richness of Swiss wines.
This article was written in collaboration with Floriane Damevin.
