Whether you’re about to attend a wine tasting or you’re planning to visit a prestigious winery for the first time, if you continue reading you’ll discover a handy guide full of wine tasting tips. Which will help you get the most out of your experience and which will increase your confidence as a new wine taster.
While in the past everyone was expected to spit the majority of the wine which they tasted, times have changed. As it’s becoming increasingly more popular for wine tasting events and wineries to offer much smaller samples, it’s now perfectly acceptable to swallow the wine which you taste. If you plan to sample small two to three ounce samples of a couple of wines. However, if you are served wine in larger quantities, it is a wise idea to spit, in order to avoid getting intoxicated.
Look for the spittoon:
If you are given access to a spittoon in order to spit into, it’s highly likely that the hosts of the wine tasting expect you to spit out the wine which you sample. Whereas if there is no spittoon in sight, you may be expected to swallow any wine which you choose to sample.
Swirl your wine:
Yes, in order to bring out the natural aroma and distinct tastes of each wine, you should swirl your wine around your glass two times.
Sniff your wine after your swirl it:
Once you swirl your wine, lower your nose to your wine glass so that you’re able to sniff your wine. As doing so will ready your palate for the taste of the wine, which you’re about to sample.
Use your smartphone to type out notes about each wine:
As it will be hard to remember all of the notes of each wine which you sample, especially if you plan on sampling a few varieties in one session, it’s a wise idea to write notes for each wine in your smart phone’s built in note app. So that you’ll be able to distinguish each wine from the next and will be able to remember and purchase your favorite wines in the future.
Sample small bites of food between each wine:
In order to cleanse your palate between each new wine, it’s a great idea to sample any nibbles which are on offer at your event or chosen winery. As an example, you may want to take advantage of cheese and crackers if they are served up. As a bonus, if you eat food alongside your wine, you’ll be far less likely to get intoxicated during your wine tasting.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions:
One of the worst mistakes which you can possibly make as a beginner wine taster is to pretend that you know all the answers to your burning questions. Instead, don’t be afraid to ask smart questions. As your knowledge of great wine will increase if you’re not afraid to speak up and to show your interest in learning more information about wine.
If you’re interested it may be worth looking for a custom wine club to check out. So that you’ll be able to start your education as a wine taster and discover new wines that you may fall in love with.
