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Wine tasting can be an intimidating and seemingly endless journey of confusing verbiage and etiquette. How do you hold the glass? How do you sound like you know what you're talking about? Should one endeavour to become a wine snob? What even is a wine snob?
Here is a very simple and approachable breakdown for your next winery visit or bottle of wine imbibed - this will give you a much greater respect and understanding of what's going on in your glass.
Appearance
This is the first step in becoming acquainted with that alluring libation in hand. What is the colour of the wine? Colour can indicate any number of things - style, body, varietal and even the age of a wine. Be warned, however, as there are certain varieties that give the appearance of age, even in their infancy, due to the colour of their skins.
Nose
This is how wine professionals describe the smell of wine. Don't forget to swirl - this is a process where the wine is oxidized, thus releasing the aromas to assist in the assessment of the wine. The olfactories (our sense of smell) are the most un-evolved of all senses, explaining why this is such an extremely challenging practice for most. Try to think of the aromas in groups or categories, avoiding being too specific - do you smell orchard fruit? Berries? Herbs? Spices? Flowers? Start with this practice, and as you become more comfortable, you'll find you'll be able to break down what you're smelling into more specific aromas. A nerdy exercise to take on if you want to get good at this? Smell everything, all the time; produce at the grocery store, flowers in your garden, freshly cut grass - and make note of them. Think of it as your very own olfactory encyclopedia of aromas that you'll draw on for future tasting and drinking!
Palate
Finally! You get to actually taste the wine! You're going to be looking for quite a few factors - alcohol, sugar, acid, tannin (if there's been skin contact - generally this is only found in reds when the wine is fermented on the grape skins, however, plenty of exceptions exist, as always). What you're looking for is balance - what this means is that all elements at play should marry together in a harmonious way where no one facet over shadows the other. Acid makes your mouth water, tannin gives you a drying sensation, alcohol is warming. If the wine is overly boozy, you'll experience a burning sensation in the back of your throat, or in your nose. If there's too much acid, the wine will be searing, and tart. If the wine is overly tannic your mouth will feel dusty and very dry.
Finish
An often overlooked, and ignored concept in the practice of tasting wine! The finish can be one of the best parts of tasting a wine. Finish simply means - how does the wine linger (or not) in your mouth after swallowing? In general, premium, or higher quality wines tend to have longer finishes where the flavours you experience upon initially tasting can completely transform. Pay attention to this next time you're tasting wine - guaranteed your mind will be blown!
Employ these techniques next time you open a bottle of wine, and experience a whole new way of approaching wine, entirely.
Cheers!
Wine Print
Laura Milnes is a Kelowna native and local wine professional, operating her own wine and hospitality consulting company. Laura is WSET certified, and continually expands her wine knowledge through education, research and travel. You can find Laura hosting wine related pop up events, and consulting with wineries throughout the Okanagan with a focus on wine education and training. The rare time Laura is not reading about, or tasting wine, you can find her travelling with her partner, cooking or doing DIY projects for her home. To learn more about wine check out her Instagram page @silkandcoupe.
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