Wine tasting is a funny thing. Watch professionals in the act and you can be forgiven for thinking the whole thing is a bit pretentious and slightly ostentatious– what with all that sniffing, swirling and spitting.
And try it for yourself and you’ll probably find yourself feeling self-conscious, and even a little bit bewildered. What exactly are you trying to determine, after all?
Well, the truth of the matter is that wine tasting is a very useful way of understanding what is going on in a glass and trying to gather some information about the wine you’re about to drink. It can give you hints as to a wine’s age, the grapes that might have been used, particularly techniques employed by the winemaker, how long it has been aged for, and even whether the wine has faults.
And it can also help you to build up a personal set of references to help you determine which wines you like and which ones you aren’t so keen on. That helps you to build a closer, and more personal, relationship with wine and develop your own individual set of preferences.
But the best thing about wine tasting is that it’s completely optional. So if you can’t be bothered with all the faff, you can skip the body of this article and jump to the important bit at the end – the bit where we say “cheers!”.
For the rest of you aspiring sommeliers, read on…
It’s personal
Before diving the steps of the wine tasting process, it’s important to grasp that wine tasting isn’t about memorising specific flavours or descriptors. Instead, it's about creating a framework of observations based on your personal palate. There are no wrong or right aromas and tastes – we each have different personal associations with smells and flavours. So, it’s best to approach wine tasting with an open mind and let the sensations trigger their own responses in your palate, your nose, and your brain. It’s about what you get from it, not what others say.
And don’t forget, wine is a living product with the potential to surprise even the most seasoned taster. Wines develop over time, and each time you taste them, they can offer something new. Which is part of the joy of wine.
Step 1: Looking at the wine
The Colour of Wine
The colour of a wine is your first clue to its identity, age, and character. Observing the wine’s appearance before swirling or sniffing is essential because it provides hints about the grape variety, winemaking style, and age.
Colour and Wine Type
Wine colour will obviously tell you if the wine is red, white, or rosé (or even orange if you're getting adventurous), but it goes beyond this. It can also give us insight into the grape variety. For example:
- Reds: wines made with Pinot Noir are often quite pale and light, whereas Cabernet Sauvignon tends to produce deeper and denser wines.
- Whites: A Sauvignon Blanc tends to have a pale, greenish hue, while an oaked Chardonnay can be a rich golden colour.
Colour and Age
- Red Wines: As red wine ages, it tends to lose its vibrant colour, transitioning from deep ruby or purple to more brick-like tones. Young red wines typically have bright purples or ruby hues, while older reds shift towards garnet, tawny, or brown. A brick-red rim around the edges of the glass indicates that the wine is ageing.
- White Wines: White wines become darker over time. Young whites tend to be pale, straw-like, or greenish, while aged whites develop more golden, amber, or even brownish tones.
Factors Influencing Colour
- Grape variety: Different varieties have different skin pigments.
- Winemaking technique: Extended skin contact during fermentation leads to a darker colour.
- Age: As described earlier, ageing gradually alters the wine's colour.
- Oak aging: Wines aged in oak tend to have darker hues due to the influence of tannins and oxygen exposure.
Viscosity (The Tears or Legs of Wine)
Viscosity refers to how a wine clings to the sides of the glass after swirling. These droplets, often referred to as “legs” or “tears,” can tell us a lot about the wine’s alcohol content, sugar levels, and body.
Alcohol Content
Higher alcohol wines tend to have thicker, slower-moving legs, while lower-alcohol wines display thinner, faster legs. This is due to the relationship between alcohol and surface tension, where higher alcohol wines evaporate more slowly and leave a denser trail.
Sugar Content
Sweet wines, like dessert wines, also exhibit thick, slow-moving legs because of their sugar content. For example, a glass of Pedro Ximénez or Vino Tierno from Málaga will often show highly viscous legs.
Body
Wines with fuller body (higher alcohol or sugar content) tend to have more pronounced legs. Light-bodied wines, such as a Verdejo or a young Mencía, typically show thinner, quicker legs. This observation helps set your expectations for the wine's mouthfeel—whether it will be light, medium, or full-bodied.
Step 2: Smelling the Wine (Aromas)
A wine’s aroma is the most complex and telling aspect of wine tasting. Our sense of smell is deeply connected to memory and emotion, and in wine, it plays a pivotal role in the overall tasting experience.
The Three Stages of Smelling Wine
First Sniff
After pouring the wine into the glass, give it a gentle swirl and take a first sniff. This allows you to assess the wine’s basic aromas.
Second Sniff
After swirling the wine in the glass to aerate it, take a deeper sniff to release more volatile aroma compounds.
Third Sniff
Once you've had a taste, return to the glass for another sniff to observe how the wine's aroma may have evolved.
Primary Aromas
Primary aromas come directly from the grape itself, offering clues about the grape variety and the wine's terroir (the environment where the grapes are grown).
Fruity aromas
Common in both red and white wines. In reds, this might be red berries (strawberries, cherries) or darker fruits (blackberries, plums). White wines often show citrus (lemon, lime), tropical fruits (pineapple, mango), or orchard fruits (apple, pear).
Floral aromas
Often found in delicate white wines like Malvasía or Gewürztraminer. Red wines like Pinot Noir may have hints of violet or rose.
Herbal aromas
Common in cool-climate wines like Sauvignon Blanc or Cabernet Franc, where green notes like bell pepper, mint, or fresh herbs appear.
Secondary Aromas
Secondary aromas develop during the winemaking process, primarily due to fermentation and aging. These aromas add complexity and depth to the wine’s profile.
Yeasty or bready aromas
These can arise from fermentation, especially in Champagne or sparkling wines, which often exhibit brioche or doughy notes due to their extended contact with yeast during bottle aging.
Dairy aromas
Found in wines that have undergone malolactic fermentation (such as many Chardonnays), where buttery, creamy, or yogurt-like aromas emerge.
Oak-derived aromas
Wines aged in oak barrels often show aromas like vanilla, caramel, coconut, or toast. The intensity of these aromas depends on the age and type of the oak barrel used (new oak imparts more flavour than old oak).
Step 3: Tasting the Wine
The actual tasting of wine involves more than just flavour; it’s a combination of taste, texture, and finish. Each of these elements works together to form a complete picture of the wine.
Tasting Technique
Take a sip
Let the wine cover your palate, noting the initial impressions.
Slosh the wine
Gently slosh the wine in your mouth, making sure it coats every surface. This allows all parts of your palate to detect various flavours.
Breathe in
Inhale gently through your mouth while holding the wine. This aerates the wine in your mouth, amplifying aromas.
Swallow or spit
Swallow the wine if you're casually tasting. If you're in a professional setting or tasting many wines, spitting is appropriate.
Taste Components
Wine has a combination of five primary tastes: sweetness, acidity, tannin, alcohol, and bitterness.
Sweetness
We detect sweetness on the tip of the tongue. But in wines, we often confuses sweetness with "fuity-ness". Wine sweetness is caused by the amount of residual sugar left in a wine after fermentation. It ranges from very dry (typically less than 3 grams of sugar per liter) to extremely sweet (somewhere closer to 5-15 grams per litre).
Acidity
We detect acidity on the sides of the tongue towards the back (you know that sensation when you suck a lemon and your mouth starts watering?). Acidity provides freshness, making wine feel crisp and refreshing. High-acidity and that mouth-watering sensation are key to wines like verdejo or txakoli.
Tannins
Tannins contribute to a wine's structure and texture. They come from grape skins, seeds, and oak barrels. In red wines, tannins provide a drying sensation in the mouth. Tannins soften as wine ages, making older wines feel smoother.
Alcohol
Alcohol adds weight and warmth. High-alcohol wines feel heavier, while lower-alcohol wines feel lighter and crisper. A well-balanced wine should not have overwhelming heat from alcohol.
Bitterness
Though subtle, some wines have a touch of bitterness, particularly if they have herbal, vegetal, or phenolic compounds.
Flavour Profiles
Wine flavour is an intricate interplay of fruit, earth, spice, and sometimes wood or floral notes. Identifying these flavours is part of building a detailed profile of the wine.
Fruit-forward wines
These emphasize fruit flavours (like berry, citrus, or stone fruit). For example, Zinfandel often has jammy fruit, while Chardonnay might show ripe apple or peach.
Earthy wines
These display flavours reminiscent of soil, mushrooms, or wet leaves. Old World wines like Bordeaux or Burgundy often have strong earthy characteristics.
Spice and wood
Oak aging can impart flavours of cinnamon, clove, vanilla, or even tobacco. Some wines, like Syrah, naturally have spicy undertones, such as black pepper or smoked meat.
The Finish
The finish is how long the flavour of the wine lingers after you swallow (or spit). A long, complex finish is often the sign of a well-made wine. Wines can have a fruity finish, spicy finish, or one that emphasizes earthy, mineral, or wood-driven notes.
Short finish
Flavors dissipate quickly after tasting. This is common in lighter, simpler wines.
Long finish
The flavours linger on your palate, often evolving as they fade. High-quality wines typically have long finishes that can last several seconds or even minutes.
In summary
Wine tasting is about engaging all your senses. From the visual clues provided by colour and viscosity to the aromatic complexities of primary and secondary aromas, and finally the taste and texture on your palate, each step gives you deeper insight into the wine's story.
But more than anything, wine tasting is a personal. It's a way of building a direct connection with the wine you drink. It encourages you to pay attention to the sensations a wine induces and get more of a feeling for whether the wine is for you. And it's about about building your own catalogue of aromas, flavours, and textures. Over time and with practise, you'll sharpen your ability to identify and appreciate the nuances that make each wine unique.
So there you have it, our comprehensive guide on how to taste wine. And for those of you who skipped the main body of the article...
...cheers!