DRINK LIKE A PRO.
WINE TASTING - WHAT YOU NEED.
Wine tasting is not drinking. Although wine is made to drink and enjoy, there are also times when it has to be judged and assessed.
By using the 5 S’s RULE:
- SWIRL & SEE,
- SWIRL & SNIFF,
- SIP & SAVOR,
you’ll be able to get the most out of any glass of wine.
WHAT YOU NEED: a wine opener, wine glasses, a spittoon, water, some snacks, a pad and a pen.
ADVISABLE CONDITIONS: a room with good lighting and temperature below 20°C, wine served at the right temperature and no disturbing aromas – don’t wear perfumes.
LET’S START WITH SOME BASICS.
WINE is an alcoholic beverage made with fermented grapes. There is:
- a single-varietal wine – made with one grape variety,
- a wine blend – made by mixing several wines together.
A VINTAGE YEAR refers to harvesting time.
There are 5 main WINE TRAITS:
- Acidity – how sour a wine is,
- Tannin – how bitter a (red) wine is,
- Sweetness – how much sugar a wine has,
- Body – the way a wine feels inside our mouth with alcohol as a main contributing factor:
– light (below 12.5%),
– medium (between 12.5% and 13.5%),
– full (over 13.5%).
SWIRL AND SEE.
First, let’s CHECK THE LABEL to know what you are going to taste:
- Country of Origin
- Grape – a single variety or a blend?
- Vintage – ready or still to go?
- Alcohol – light, medium or full body?
Now, let’s SWIRL IT AND SEE what you have in your glass:
- Wine Type – Still or Sparkling?
- Colour – White or Red? Intensity?
- Clarity – how well is light transmitted through the wine body?
- Viscosity – higher alcohol and sweeter wines tend to have a higher density of “wine legs” (droplets).
BEFORE YOU SNIFF.
WHAT AFFECTS AROMAS:
- Grape Category,
- Terroir (= soil + topography + climate),
- Wine Making Process.
GRAPE CATEGORIES:
- Aromatic* – Brachetto, Malvasia family, Moscato family, Gewürztraminer,
- Semi-Aromatic – Glera, Müller-Thurgau, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling (Renano), Aleatico, Sylvaner,
- Neutral – All other.
*These are aromatic white wines characterised by dominant floral aromas caused by a special aroma compound found naturally in grapes.
SWIRL AND SNIFF.
3 MAIN AROMA CATEGORIES:
- Primary – coming from the grape variety (fruity and floral),
- Secondary – derived from the winemaking process (toasty notes from oak, buttery notes from malolactic fermentation, or brioche notes from lees contact),
- Tertiary – developing as wine ages.
OK – let’s SWIRL IT AND SNIFF:
- Any intensity and persistence? The more and longer, the better.
- Is it fine?
- Any aromas? – Floral? Fruity? Herbal? Earthy? Mineral? Spices? Toasted? Animal? Etheric?
SIP.
Now, let’s SIP IT.
- Acidity – is it sour or soft?
- Alcohol – does it have a boost?
- Sweetness – is it sweet or dry?
- Tannins – is it bitter or smooth?
- Fruit – is it fruity or savoury?
- Are all the elements balanced?
- Body – how round is the wine in the mouth?
- Aftertaste?
- Any intensity? The more and longer, the better.
- Any flavours? – Floral? Fruity? Herbal? Earthy? Mineral? Spices? Toasted?
- Is it ready to drink?
- What food would you pair it with?
SWIRL AND SAVOR.
In the end, it’s all about practising. The more wine you taste, the better you understand your taste buds and the wine itself.
You can describe each wine characteristic in any way you want:
- by words e.g. fresh (high acidity) or bitter (high tannins),
- on a numeric scale e.g. from 1 to 5 (10),
- on a value scale e.g. low, low (+), medium, medium (+) and high.
Enjoy wine and become a connoisseur because wine is an art.
DRINK LIKE
A PRO.
WINE TASTING - WHAT YOU NEED.
Wine tasting is not drinking. Although wine is made to drink and enjoy, there are also times when it has to be judged and assessed.
By using the 5 S’s RULE:
- SWIRL & SEE,
- SWIRL & SNIFF,
- SIP,
- SAVOR,
you’ll be able to get the most out of any glass of wine.
WHAT YOU NEED: a wine opener, wine glasses, a spittoon, water, some snacks, a pad and a pen.
ADVISABLE CONDITIONS: a room with good lighting and temperature below 20°C, wine served at the right temperature and no disturbing aromas – don’t wear perfumes.
LET’S START WITH SOME BASICS.
WINE is an alcoholic beverage made with fermented grapes. There is:
- a single-varietal wine – made with one grape variety,
- a wine blend – made by mixing several wines together.
A VINTAGE YEAR refers to harvesting time.
There are 5 main WINE TRAITS:
- Acidity – how sour a wine is,
- Tannin – how bitter a (red) wine is,
- Sweetness – how much sugar a wine has,
- Body – the way a wine feels inside our mouth with alcohol as a main contributing factor:
– light (below 12.5%),
– medium (between 12.5% and 13.5%),
– full (over 13.5%).
SWIRL AND SEE.
First, let’s CHECK THE LABEL to know what you are going to taste:
- Country of Origin
- Grape – a single variety or a blend?
- Vintage – ready or still to go?
- Alcohol – light, medium or full body?
Now, let’s SWIRL IT AND SEE what you have in your glass:
- Wine Type – Still or Sparkling?
- Colour – White or Red? Intensity?
- Clarity – how well is light transmitted through the wine body?
- Viscosity – higher alcohol and sweeter wines tend to have a higher density of “wine legs” (droplets).
BEFORE YOU SNIFF.
WHAT AFFECTS AROMAS:
- Grape Category,
- Terroir (= soil + topography + climate),
- Wine Making Process.
GRAPE CATEGORIES:
- Aromatic* – Brachetto, Malvasia family, Moscato family, Gewürztraminer,
- Semi-Aromatic – Glera, Müller-Thurgau, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling (Renano), Aleatico, Sylvaner,
- Neutral – All other.
*These are aromatic white wines characterised by dominant floral aromas caused by a special aroma compound found naturally in grapes.
SWIRL AND SNIFF.
3 MAIN AROMA CATEGORIES:
- Primary – coming from the grape variety (fruity and floral),
- Secondary – derived from the winemaking process (toasty notes from oak, buttery notes from malolactic fermentation, or brioche notes from lees contact),
- Tertiary – developing as wine ages.
OK – let’s SWIRL IT AND SNIFF:
- Any intensity and persistence? The more and longer, the better.
- Is it fine?
- Any aromas? – Floral? Fruity? Herbal? Earthy? Mineral? Spices? Toasted? Animal? Etheric?
SIP.
Now, let’s SIP IT.
- Acidity – is it sour or soft?
- Alcohol – does it have a boost?
- Sweetness – is it sweet or dry?
- Tannins – is it bitter or smooth?
- Fruit – is it fruity or savoury?
- Are all the elements balanced?
- Body – how round is the wine in the mouth?
- Aftertaste?
- Any intensity? The more and longer, the better.
- Any flavours? – Floral? Fruity? Herbal? Earthy? Mineral? Spices? Toasted?
- Is it ready to drink?
- What food would you pair it with?
SWIRL AND SAVOR.
In the end, it’s all about practising. The more wine you taste, the better you understand your taste buds and the wine itself.
You can describe each wine characteristic in any way you want:
- by words e.g. fresh (high acidity) or bitter (high tannins),
- on a numeric scale e.g. from 1 to 5 (10),
- on a value scale e.g. low, low (+), medium, medium (+) and high.
Enjoy wine and become a connoisseur because wine is an art.
