Wine Tasting
Though it can seem intimidating and maybe even a little pretentious, wine tasting is actually quite simple and can be a lot of fun! It's not only an enjoyable way to pass time when you're on holiday (wine tour, anyone?), it's also a great activity for bonding with friends, getting involved in your community, and improving your wine collection. Learning to taste wines is a straightforward process and the basics of it are detailed below. If you have further questions on vocabulary or food pairing, consult the related guides listed below.
The Fundamentals
When you taste wine, it is always best to progress from light to heavy. Start with sparkling  or rosé wines and go from light-bodied whites to fuller-bodied ones. From there, you can move from light reds to full-bodied ones; finally, finish with dessert wines. An inch or less of each wine will suffice, and if you prefer not to stumble your way home, a dump bucket will prove most useful.
The Right Glass - Always start with a clean glass : you want to be able to see the wine clearly and you do not want any interfering smells or tastes.
- An ideal wine glass should have a rim that curves inward; this ensures that the aromas easily reach your nose. It also prevents the wine from spilling when the glass is swirled.
The Look- Hold the glass up against a white surface to inspect the colour of the wine.
- White wines generally gain colour as they age: is it clear, straw-like, pale yellow, light golden, green, amber, brown?
- Red wines tend to lose colour with age: is it maroon, ruby, purple, garnet, brick, red, brown?
- Is the wine opaque or clear? Is sediment or cork visible?
- If you swirl your wine, you will notice the "legs" - the transparent film that appears on the inside of the glass's bowl. Though rumours abound that these are indicative of quality, they are actually only a result of the amount of alcohol present in the wine. Move right along.
The Smell- Swirl your glass a couple of times to aerate the wine and allow the aromas to escape. Take a whiff for a first impression.
- Now put your nose over the rim of the glass and inhale deeply. What do you smell now: oak, fruit or berry, vanilla, citrus, grass, flowers? This helpful chart details aromas that are common to particular types of wine.
The Taste - Finally, take a small sip and let it slide around your tongue.
- The Attack Phase
- During this phase, you will concentrate on the initial impression the wine makes on your palate.
- You are looking for the intermingling of alcohol content, tannin levels, acidity and residual sugar. Preferably, not a single one of these four components should stand out. Adjectives to describe this balance may include intense, complex, soft, firm, light, heavy, crisp, creamy, sweet and dry. For more complete descriptions, see the Analysing Wine from A to Z Guide.
- The Evolution Phase
- Here, you will be focusing on the wine's taste on your palate and will be describing actual flavours. Red wines are often known for notes of spice or red fruits while whites often have citrus, tropical fruit or floral tastes.
- The Finish
- Finally, swallow your sip of wine (or make use of the dump bucket, if you prefer) and note what happens after the wine has left your mouth. Was the wine light- or full-bodied? Is there an aftertaste? How long did it last? Fine wines will generally linger on the palate.
- What was your general impression of the wine? Did you like it? Was it well balanced? Does it taste better when paired with food? The ultimate test: were you satisfied and would you drink it again?
- Cleanse your palate with a sip of water before tasting another wine. If your water is heavily chlorinated or heavy with sulphur, bottled water is best.
Host a Wine Tasting Party!
Remember how I mentioned that wine tasting was a fun activity to share with friends or a wonderful way to get involved around town? By hosting a wine tasting party, you'll be doing just that, and everyone is guaranteed to have a great time.
The first thing to decide is what kind of tasting you would like to host: Vertical (tasting one wine varietal from one producer from several different vintages), Horizontal (tasting one varietal from a single year, but from multiple winemakers), Old World vs. New World (Europe vs. North or South America, South Africa, New Zealand or Australia), Wine and Cheese, and so on (you can find more party ideas here).
Ideally, you should have four to six selected wines and some light snacks so your guests don't have to drink on an empty stomach. It is also very interesting to see how certain foods pair with different wines. Don't forget a dump bucket for those who do not wish to down all that wine, and offer water or bread as palate cleansers.
Once your menu is determined and you have your guest list together, you should design a tasting card that specifies the wines, their vineyards and their vintages, and a brief description. On this card, your guests will be able to jot down their notes, impressions and ratings. If you would like to challenge your friends, consider having a trivia game or a blind tasting. In the blind tasting, the labels are hidden, and the person who is able, by matching taste to description, to identify the largest number of wines wins a guidebook, a tasting kit, or a special bottle.
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