Wine Tasting Guide For Wine Newbies

Intimidated by all the sniffing, swirling, and swishing at a wine tasting? Relax. All wine connoisseurs started out just like you. Being a wine newbie, it would be great to learn the basics of wine tasting.

To master the wine tasting basics, there are three things that you have to consider: the wine’s appearance, smell and taste.

Appearance: Color and clarity

Tilt up your glass in front of a light then notice the color - it can indicate the wine’s age and freshness: A white wine’s greenish tinge indicates that the wine is young, while a brownish hue could mean that that wine is old or was not stored properly. For red wines, purplish tinge indicates that they are young while a deeper red color shows that they are old.

To assess the wine’s clarity, look at the glass from the side while holding it up. There should be no floating particles present. You may also look at the thin clear layer on the wine’s very top to make sure that it is free from any sediment.

Smell: Swirl and sniff

After checking the color and clarity, lift the glass to your nose to smell the wine. Remember this mantra: Swirl and sniff.

Swirl the wine around to release its aroma. Then take a long sniff. To guide you, here are the most common wine aroma:

• Woody – has a scent of wood
• Spicy – has a spicy or peppery scent
• Vinegary – has a smell similar to vinegar (not good)
• Metallic – this smell indicates contamination (not good also)
• Fruity – smells like ripe fruit or berries

Taste: Sip and swish

After pleasing your eyes and nose, it’s now time to taste. Take an initial small sip and then swish it around inside your mouth. Sip and swish. It’s okay if you wouldn’t notice anything. The first taste often serves as preparation for the full taste as it cleanse your palette.

Savor the wine on the second sip. To get a full taste, wash it around in your mouth. Exhale slowly after swallowing. Let the taste and aroma linger for a bit.

Enjoy the flavor and try to pick out all the different hints of taste in each wine. As you practice the basics of wine tasting, you will learn more about the characteristics of every wine.