How to Taste Wine for Beginners: Sip, Savor, or Spit? Posted on June 17, 2014September 9, 2024 Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Sooner or later, we all step into a winery tasting room, feeling both excited and a little nervous. You scan the room, taking in the atmosphere—the wooden barrels, the polished counters, and other guests swirling their glasses like seasoned pros. I remember my first time, feeling a bit out of place as I made my way to the bar. Leaning my elbows on the counter, someone handed me a glass and a tasting sheet filled with words I had never seen before. The first pour landed in my glass. I took a sip, and that’s when it hit me—now what? I didn’t know how to spot tasting notes, what that bucket was for, or even how to pick a wine. If you’re wondering how to taste wine for beginners, this guide will help. Table of Contents Sip it or Spit it: How to Taste Wine Tasting Details How to Sip How to Spit See the Wine Sniff the Wine Using Your Tasting Notes Like it? Pin it! Sip it or Spit it: How to Taste WineBut No Matter What– Enjoy it Moments later, with glass in hand, I stared at the 1 to 1.5 ounces of the winery’s driest white wine. There was a carafe of water and a tall spit bucket within arm’s reach. The sommelier explained the alcohol content, the specific grapes harvested, and what foods go well with it. But there was one thing I noticed—they rarely tell you how actually to taste the wine. I knew it was a dry white because it wasn’t my first tasting, but I didn’t always have that confidence. What’s more important than anything, though, is to enjoy yourself. Don’t get too caught up in the technicalities of etiquette. The wine experience should be about enjoyment, not perfection. Daily Life in Daegu: One Military Spouse Perspective Type your email… Subscribe Join 5,100 other subscribers Half Marathon Confessions: What Made Me Reflect on Every Mile! Tasting Details Wine tasting basics include understanding the difference between aroma, flavor, and finish. Pay attention to the wine’s body and structure. The goal is to enjoy, not to overwhelm yourself. Tastings usually start with dry wines and end with sweet ones, sometimes finishing with a dessert wine. I recently watched a couple on their first winery visit, and I realized how intimidating it can feel for a newcomer. There are a few things that would’ve helped them, and they might help you too, the next time you’re in a tasting room. Traveling the Good Food Highway: Our Favorite Foods Around the World How to Sip Remember that spit bucket I mentioned earlier? It’s not just decoration. Wine professionals sip and spit regularly because many wineries offer seven to ten different wines to taste, and people often visit more than one winery in a day. On my first wine tasting trip, I confidently swirled my glass like I’d seen in the movies. I got a little too enthusiastic, and the wine flew out, splashing all over my shirt. I spent the rest of the tasting smelling like a walking vineyard! A typical glass contains about five ounces of wine. Multiply that by seven tastings, and you’ll quickly consume more than a bottle of wine. And if you’re driving, that’s a problem. So, sipping and spitting help you stay sharp and still enjoy the tasting experience. A Historic Stay: Experiencing the Hotel Saint Louis How to Spit You don’t need to swallow the wine to taste it—your eyes, nose, and tongue do all the work. If you decide to spit, aim carefully. Don’t be the person who dribbles wine down their chin! Most visitors to wineries don’t spit, but if you choose to, know you’re in the minority—less than 1% of winery visitors actually do. Dead on the Autobahn- How I Killed My Husband’s BMW See the Wine There are a few things to check before even taking a sip. First, see the wine. Hold the glass up to the light or against a white background. You’re looking for color and intensity. Is it light or dark? With white wines, a Chardonnay is often golden, while a Riesling is paler. For red wines, is it ruby red or purple? Is it transparent or more opaque? A light, see-through red like Pinot Noir is likely to be a lighter-bodied wine, while an opaque wine like Cabernet Sauvignon is often fuller-bodied. Even before tasting, you’ve already gathered important clues about what you’re about to drink. How Rome Made Me Ready for Study Abroad at Oxford Sniff the Wine I used to think swirling was only for red wines, but that’s not true. Swirling aerates the wine, allowing you to smell the aromas more fully. Hold your glass by the stem, place it on the counter, and make small circles. Then, take a good sniff. What can you detect? With white wines, you’ll often notice tropical fruits, peaches, or citrus. Reds might reveal black cherry, currant, or even peppery notes. Don’t be afraid to stick your whole nose into the glass—the fuller the sniff, the better you can detect those aromas. Daily Life in Daegu: One Military Spouse Perspective Sip the Wine… aka my favorite part of the experience. Could you take at least three sips of each wine? At this stage, there are five things to note: body, flavor, taste, how it feels, and how it finishes. An analogy I love that helps me understand the wine body is if it’s a light-bodied wine, it is more like skim milk; heavy-bodied wines feel more like whole milk or heavy cream in your mouth. Is it dry or sweet? Peppery or savory? Does one flavor stand out or is it harmonious? Does the taste linger on your tongue for a while (long finish)? Or does it go away immediately after you sip or spit (short finish)? Using Your Tasting Notes At the end of the tasting, use the notes to reflect on what you learned about each wine. What stood out? What did you enjoy or dislike? These notes help you figure out your wine preferences and read the back label of any wine bottle in the future. It might seem like a lot at first, but before long, you’ll impress your friends and that couple who’s just visiting for the first time. Most importantly, using tasting notes will help you select wines you truly enjoy. And hey, if all else fails, there’s nothing wrong with choosing a bottle because you like the label! Like it? Pin it! This post is sponsored and/or contains affiliate links, from which I earn a commission at no extra cost to the reader. I appreciate your support and know that all the views expressed are my own. Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe! 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Great tips for wine tasting here – made me fancy a glass. I tend to always sip it and swallow it personally! Reply
I just moved to a region of Spain with a lot of wineries. I need to go and do some tastings. This looks like fun. I’m not sure if I would spit though. Reply
It doesn’t only apply to wine. I use similar tips in trying what so ever. I know a lot of people like wine so your post is a bit educational! Reply
Interesting post. I love wine and wine tours are always something I look forward to when I travel. I have to put in more practice though. It just seems like every bottle, every drop is just delicious! Reply
This is something that me and my husband would actuallt love. This is so fun! I wanna go there and try! Reply
Thanks for your great tips! I love visiting wineries and learning about how wine is made. Surprisingly it doesn’t take long to become somewhat of a professional. Reply
I had always wondered the proper way to do things when it came to wine tasting at a winery. I’ve learned a lot today. Thank you! Reply
I learned how to properly drink wine at a winery once but before then I had no idea what I was doing! Reply
I had drink some wine but to taste it or to know the quality of the wine i really don’t know ., but now i think i learn to this blog thanks for sharing those tips . Reply
Anyone who is not familiar with wine should refer to this post as you will learn a lot 🙂 I love my wine 😉 Reply
These are such good tips for new tasters. I absolutely had no idea about the ‘spit’. Which is hilarious, no wonder I am more buzzed than everyone else! Reply
Great tips for new tasters! My parents taught me this on my first wine tour, but otherwise, I would have just kept downing the glasses and someone would have to roll me out of there! Reply
Funny. I taught my parents. We enjoy going to wineries together but they just started drinking wine. Reply
Everyone who is new to wine tasting should read this. The first time I went to a wine tasting, I just kept sipping and sipping. I was quite tipsy by the end. LOL Reply
You’re too funny. I hope I encourage a few new wine lovers to head to their local winery without feeling intimidated. Reply
Thank you so much for sharing this. I’ve never really thought about all the nuances of wine tasting. Reply