Wine Tasting: A Beginner's Guide

Michele Longari, sommelier for the Greater Malvern Wine Society (GMWS) and Hay Wines, gives us the low down on the basic principles of wine tasting so that we can all look like pros

Wine tasting is often perceived as an unapproachable, almost daunting, exercise. But, as long as you understand the basic principles behind it, and learn what to look out for, it can be quite a rewarding activity. Firstly, the most important thing you need to know is that there are four basic steps to wine tasting:

1. Look: A visual inspection of the wine under neutral lighting

2. Smell: Identify aromas through orthonasal olfaction (aka breathing through your nose);

3. Taste: Assess both the taste structure and flavours derived from retronasal olfaction (breathing with the back of your nose)

4. Think: Develop a complete profile of a wine that can be stored in your long-term memory.

Let’s now take a closer look at what each single step means, and what you should do to be a semi-pro (or at least look like one).

1 LOOK

Check out the colour, opacity and viscosity (wine legs). Remember that, the more a white wine is golden, the more it is aged and complex; the more a red wine is garnet, the more it is old and deep. While swirling the wine, pay attention to the resistance of the wine in your glass. If you have the same ‘weight’ sensation as if it was water, then this means the wine is very light and fresh (e.g. high in acidity). However, if the wine is very dense, almost ‘syrupy’, this means the wine will be very rich, full bodied, and probably also high in alcohol.