Wine Tasting Tips for the New Wine Lover!

Enjoying a glass of wine with a meal or a group of friends is a very common experience across the world. Truly enjoying wine, however, takes a lot more passion, knowledge, and practice. Here are some easy tips for the new wine connoisseur-to-be.

Truly experiencing wine involves all five senses. When tasting wine for the first time, the first thing that is noticed is its color. There is a lot of information that can be gained by simply looking at the color in the glass. Wine color can tell a taster how old the wine is, how heavy the wine is, what variety of grapes were used, and whether or not the wine spent time in oak.

The next step in wine tasting is to swirl the wine gently. This action allows the wine to come into more contact with air, which increases the intensity of its aromas. Simply hold the stem of the wine glass, swirl the wine in a gentle circular motion, and move on to the next step!

Smell is a very important factor in tasting wines that many inexperienced wine drinkers skip. The smell of wine is referred to as its “aroma” and can tell you about the complexity of it, as well as hint towards what variety of wine it is. Most importantly, the aromas of wine can tell the taster if the wine has gone bad! There are several different types of aromas- fruity, floral, spicy, and herbal. These aromas all make common appearances in specific types of wine, and becoming used to these aromas can help any wine drinker determine which wines they will prefer before even tasting them.

Taste is the next step in wine tasting. However, tasting wine isn’t simply drinking it. Take only a small sip to truly experience the acidity, sweetness, fruitiness, tannin, and fullness associated with the wine. Keep in mind which of these things are enjoyable, and which aren’t preferred.

If tasting only one glass of wine, feel free to swallow. Notice the taste that lingers, more commonly known among wine connoisseurs as the finish. More defined finishes that linger for a longer period of time are associated with better quality wines. Sometimes the finish will be similar to the taste of the wine, while with other wines the finish will have a completely unique taste to it. If tasting multiple wines, it’s best to spit into a provided container after tasting. Sipping multiple wines is an easy way to get carried away and drink too much! Remember, the point of tasting wine isn’t to become intoxicated, but to become more familiar with different varieties of wine and to become more educated about personal preferences.



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