How to taste wine like a pro?

Wine tasting can be complicated and complex at times, but don't worry, in this article we will give you some tips to taste wine like a pro.


First of all, it is important to specify that anyone can learn to taste a wine correctly, without being a professional taster. All you need to have is a consistent tasting technique that you can improve with time and expereince. Everytime you drink wine, take a moment to appreciate its unique characteristics. By practicing, you will soon become a professional wine taster! Just follow the four steps of the conventional tasting method: Look, Smell, Taste and Think.



LOOK

Hold the wine glass over a white background in neutral light and make 3 observations: hue, color intensity, and viscosity. In white wines, a deeper colour is usually an indication of ageing or oxidation. For example. white wines aged in oak have a deeper colour than white wines aged in stainless steel, which doesn´t let oxygen in. In rosé wines, the intensity is contolled by the winemaker. Thus, a deeper colour simply means that the wines was macerated in grape skins for longer. In red wines, we need to look towards the edge of the wine to see the hue. We need to look towards the centre to see how opaque the colour is: Wines with a red coloured tint, are likely to have a higher acidity (lower pH). Wines that are more purple or blue, will have a lower acidity. A deeply coloured, opaque red wine is likely to be youthful with higher tannin. Finally, red wines become more pale and tawny as they age. 

Also, when looking at wines, it is important to look at the viscosity. Wines with higher viscosity, have higher alcohol, higher sugar, or both. 

Wine "legs" or "tears" is a phenomen called the Gibbs-Marangoni effect. It is caused by fluid surface tension created from evaporating alcohol. In a controlled environment, many "tears" indicate a wine with higher alcohol. Also, temperature and humidity will affect results. 

The sediments are the particles at the bottom of the glass that sometimes appear when drinking unfiltered wines. They are harmless but can be easily removed by poruing through a stainless-steel filter. 


SMELL



Smell the wine and try to create a flavor profile before tasting it. Look for fruity, herbaceous, or other flavors, and if present, oak or earthy flavors.



TASTE

We recommend smelling the wine and create a profile of its aromas before tasting it. Try to look for 2-3 fruit flavour, 2-3 herbal or other flavours, and any oak or earth flavour. Afterwards, take a mouth large enough and pass the wine through the entire palate before swallowing it. Try to identify the structure of the wine (tannin, acidity, etc.), the aromas and the overall balance of the wine. 



THINK



Finally, it's time to put all your observations together and evaluate the experience as a whole. We recommend that you write down the taste notes, evaluate the wine and compare it with other wines.



At first, the process may be a little difficult, but you will get used to following these steps. In time, so will you. you will be closer to becoming a professional wine taster! The most important thing is to have fun while learning!


Check out our wine shop and start practicing!