How to taste wine - step 3 - taste

If you’ve read Step 1 - Appearance, and Step 2 - The Nose, then finally, you are ready to drink!  But a keg stand won’t do the wine any justice, so read on…

Take your first sip slowly, and hold the wine in your mouth.  Purse your lips and slowly suck in some air.  This can make a pretty obnoxious sound, but if you practice this, you can learn to keep the rudeness to a minimum.  Actually, it is quite acceptable among wine nerds to practice this ritual, so you will be seen as wine-savvy, rather than rude.  Believe it or not, there is a very good reason for doing this when drinking wine.  Allowing air to mix with wine directly in the mouth brings out the flavors right at the moment you need them the most.

Swish the wine in your mouth a bit before swallowing.  This coats the mouth and prepares you for the next sip.  Take that next sip, and notice the much fuller flavor you are given.  Here are some more points to note:

Does your tongue feel dry after a sip? Maybe like you just licked a dry towel?  If you’ve never licked a dry towel, go ahead and give it a try.  If the wine does this to your tongue, it is tannic.  The drier your tongue, the higher the tannins.  Tannins are an indicator of a wine produced in a warmer climate.

Do you taste a lot of alcohol? This may mean the wine is from a warmer climate as well.

Does your mouth water? If so, the wine is high in acidity.  This indicates a wine from a cooler climate.

How long is the finish? If the taste lingers in your mouth for at least 30 seconds, it is often a sign of a better quality wine.

Is the wine balanced? Is it too acidic?  Too high in alcohol?  Too oaky?  If it’s “too” anything, it’s fair to say that the wine lacks balance.

Is the wine full-bodied? Body can be detected not only by observing the speed of the legs, but also in the mouth.

If you’ve read all three steps, then you’ve now learned how to taste wine.  These components are all used in determining facts about the wine.  They are used to detect the vintage, varietal, region produced, and quality level in a blind tasting.  More importantly, they are used to describe the wine.

Now all you have to do is practice by repetition.  True wine nerds will practice these steps religiously.  Remember, you are not a “snob”.  You’re better than that!