How to enjoy wine

How to taste wine

We have all experienced the "so called expert" during a wine tasting who makes a production out of tasting the wine. Generally these people can make the part time wine taster feel uncomfortable and intimidated.

Tasting wine should be about increasing your enjoyment of it - but it is only a small part of the experience as ultimately wine is about the pleasure of drinking.

Having said that, wine tasting is a great way to expand your horizons and to try new wines before committing to buying a whole bottle. Here are a few fun steps to get the most out of your wine tasting experience.

Remember - there is nothing right or wrong about your view of this experience. This is a highly subjective process. One person′s perceived fault may turn out to be one person′s point of enjoyment. Trust your own palate and instincts!

Look

Clarity is an indication of the character and condition of the wine.
The hue is its colour.
The depth, is how deep the wine appears ie dark, medium or light.

Swirl

Swirl the wine gently to coat the interior of the glass and to release the wine aromas.

Sniff

Sniff hard and confidently! Our sense of smell is one of our most powerful senses!

As you inhale smoothly and through your nose also draw a small amount of air through your mouth. Try to indentify as many flavour compounds as possible.

Aromas refer to smells derived from grapes and include fruit descriptors (including herbs and spices) eg berry, lemon etc

Bouquet refers to smells derived from the winemaking process eg oaky

Taste

Taste the amount of wine that feels comfortable to you. Hold the wine in your mouth and suck air through it this may take some practise). Move the wine around in your mouth and take note how the flavour changes. Wine terms to describe the taste include; intensity, concentration, body, complexity and balance. Don′t be afraid to ask questions!

Spit

We′ll leave this part up to you. It is important if you are driving on a wine tasting day - the more you spit, the more wines you get to taste! After looking, swirling, sniffing, tasting and potentially spitting, think about your views on the wine. Discuss with your friends and the person holding the tasting but remember, the only view on the wine that matters, is your own!