So you don’t know anything about wine? Or
perhaps you have some knowledge, but you are hoping to brush up on your wine
terms and lingo? Well here are some steps on how to taste wine while looking
like a professional wine advisor.
Step 1: Filling and holding the glass
If you are pouring the wine out yourself, Vine Advisor would suggest filling a standard sized wine glass about a quarter full. Remember you are wine advisor sampling it and not loading yourself up on a night out. Once the wine is poured, Vine Advisor recommends holding the glass by the stem, firstly as this will make you look more of an official wine advisor, but it also serves a purpose so as to not warm the wine with the heat from your hands.
Step 2: Review the appearance
The next stage, and no it’s not drinking it quite yet, is to examine the colour of the wine. One rule of thumb is that it should not be cloudy or murky in its appearance, which suggests a lower quality of wine.
A wine advisor is on the lookout for crisp colours, but be wary of white wines which become darker with age and red wines turning a browner colour. These both indicate that the wine is not at its freshest, and are useful early indicators for what to expect. While studying the wine, feel free to give it a swirl as not only will this make you look the part of a real wine advisor, but it also allows you to view how the wine and sediment flow around the glass, while allowing the aroma to circulate.
Step 3: Smelling the wine
Now you are ready to smell the wine, and with a light swirl a professional wine advisor will nestle the glass close to the nose and then dive in for a smell. They will be looking for common scents such as floral, herb, fruits and spicy flavours, among others. Generally speaking, if the wine doesn’t smell great then it likely won’t taste great either.
Smelling wine can be difficult to begin with, but as you become a more experienced wine advisor it will become easier to pick up the differences in the aroma, which at times are particularly subtle. Wines that are older can be even trickier to smell, so don’t feel disheartened if you are unable to pick up anything at first.
Step 4: Tasting
Now comes the part you have been waiting for; the taste. An expert wine advisor will often take a generous first sip and then swirl the wine around the inside of their mouth with their tongue. Vine Advisor explains the reasons for doing this are that it allows us to pick up the different flavour profiles in our mouth. The aftertaste is often different to the initial sampling, so don’t rush in for a second sip too soon, and instead enjoy the changing flavours on the tongue.
Step 1: Filling and holding the glass
If you are pouring the wine out yourself, Vine Advisor would suggest filling a standard sized wine glass about a quarter full. Remember you are wine advisor sampling it and not loading yourself up on a night out. Once the wine is poured, Vine Advisor recommends holding the glass by the stem, firstly as this will make you look more of an official wine advisor, but it also serves a purpose so as to not warm the wine with the heat from your hands.
Step 2: Review the appearance
The next stage, and no it’s not drinking it quite yet, is to examine the colour of the wine. One rule of thumb is that it should not be cloudy or murky in its appearance, which suggests a lower quality of wine.
A wine advisor is on the lookout for crisp colours, but be wary of white wines which become darker with age and red wines turning a browner colour. These both indicate that the wine is not at its freshest, and are useful early indicators for what to expect. While studying the wine, feel free to give it a swirl as not only will this make you look the part of a real wine advisor, but it also allows you to view how the wine and sediment flow around the glass, while allowing the aroma to circulate.
Step 3: Smelling the wine
Now you are ready to smell the wine, and with a light swirl a professional wine advisor will nestle the glass close to the nose and then dive in for a smell. They will be looking for common scents such as floral, herb, fruits and spicy flavours, among others. Generally speaking, if the wine doesn’t smell great then it likely won’t taste great either.
Smelling wine can be difficult to begin with, but as you become a more experienced wine advisor it will become easier to pick up the differences in the aroma, which at times are particularly subtle. Wines that are older can be even trickier to smell, so don’t feel disheartened if you are unable to pick up anything at first.
Step 4: Tasting
Now comes the part you have been waiting for; the taste. An expert wine advisor will often take a generous first sip and then swirl the wine around the inside of their mouth with their tongue. Vine Advisor explains the reasons for doing this are that it allows us to pick up the different flavour profiles in our mouth. The aftertaste is often different to the initial sampling, so don’t rush in for a second sip too soon, and instead enjoy the changing flavours on the tongue.
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