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Sip Wine Like a Pro

Wine tasting can be intimidating. If you are hosting a wine tasting or are at a winery, here are some practical tips to help you look and feel like a pro. First, start with the lightest wine and progress to the heaviest. This will give you and your guests a chance to appreciate the different tastes and aromas.

Let’s talk about tasting through red wines in case you are hosting a dinner party.  You will start with a light bodied red like a Gamay or Pinot Noir.  Next a medium bodied wine like Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese or Merlot and then finish with a bold red such as a Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah or Tannat.

A few fun tips that I like to share with friends who may not be as experienced as yourself:

• Never rinse your glass with water in between tastings. It can dilute your wine, affect its smell and taste
• Red fruit forward wines tend to be lighter bodied
• Black fruit flavor wines tend to be fuller bodied
• How you hold your wine glass matters. Never hold the bowl of the glass, only the stem. By holding it by the bowl, you are actually warming the wine, which will change its taste.

To be a true pro, follow these steps:

Looking

The color of wine can be a beautiful sight. Hold it up to the light (if you can). Why? It should be able to tell whether it’s young or older wine by the density of color or if it’s light or full bodied. For example, an older wine is brick-red, while a younger one is burgundy.

Swirling

Swirling your wine will open up the aromas in your glass, only enhancing your experience.  You may see tears or legs develop. Tears are alcohol evaporating from the wine, and legs are tiny particles of wine that stay in the glass rather than run down the inside. 

Smelling 

Smelling wine can be intimidating but just know, there are no wrong answers!  You may smell strawberries while someone else smells spices…your noses are different.  If you want to get more educated on smell, just keep doing it.  Also, start testing yourself.  There are a lot of wine stores that have aroma kits that can be very fun for amateur and professional connoisseurs alike.  

Sipping

Sip your wine slowly, swishing it around in your mouth first before swallowing. This will help you discern what type of flavors you’re sipping on.

Spitting

If you are drinking a lot of wine, spitting can be a useful way to control your alcohol consumption. It is not looked down upon. Just not for me