How to Taste Wine Properly - Part I

You can certainly enjoy a glass of wine by simply sipping it without really thinking about what you are drinking. But truly enjoying and appreciating wine is an intellectual pursuit that includes deliberately thinking about what you are seeing, tasting, and smelling as well as what is happening around you as you are sipping your glass of vino. And doing so will greatly enhance your enjoyment of the wine. Let’s talk more about how to taste wine properly!

I have always enjoyed studying and reading about wine – its history, how it is grown and produced, and the sheer number and types of different wines produced around the world – as much as I enjoy drinking it. But over the years I have found that tasting wine is the fastest and most effective way to learn about and understand wine. And by tasting, I don’t mean just drinking the wine. I mean really taking the time to think about and consider the wine you are tasting: what it looks like in the glass, what you smell when you sniff the wine, what flavors you taste when the wine is in your mouth, and what sensation it leaves you with after you have swallowed it.

So, how does one taste wine properly? By following a simple 5-step process whenever you pour and enjoy a glass of wine. I refer to these steps as the “five S’s” – See, Swirl, Sniff, Sip, and Savor. But before we talk about each of these steps in more detail (that will be the focus of next week’s blog), let me share a few general lessons I have learned over the years about tasting wine and doing so properly.

First, you are never wrong when you are describing what you taste and smell as you enjoy a glass of wine. I find that many of my friends who are new to wine are intimidated or scared to share their thoughts on a wine because they think they will sound stupid or ignorant or will “get it wrong”. But here’s the thing: what you taste is what you taste, and what you smell is what you smell – period. Two people can taste the same wine and describe what they taste and smell differently. One might taste lemon zest and bitter almonds; another might taste stone fruit and orange peel. And both would be right, because each is describing what olfactory qualities and palate characteristics they each sense as they sample the wine.

Which reminds me of a classic scene from the wonderfully funny movie “Wine Country” starring Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, and Rachael Dratch. They are wine novices and are doing a wine tasting at a winery in Napa Valley. The exchange between the winery rep (WR), Amy Poehler (AP), and Rachael Dratch (RD) goes something like this:

WR: Tell me what you smell – there are no wrong answers.

AP: Green apples??

WR: Yes, very good – green apples!

RD: I want to say canned peaches??

WR: No.

RD: I thought there were no wrong answers?

WR: Yea, but you know – peaches – no, there’s no peaches in there – what else you got?

AP: Oh, lemon!

WR: Yes! Very good – lemon!

RD: I taste the lemon too – yes!

WR: You don’t taste it, you smell it.

RD: Grapes! I taste grapes!

WR: Well, yea, of course, …

AP: Nice! That’s smart – definitely grapes in there!

RD: Can’t go wrong with that answer!

I also recall going to Virginia wine country one spring afternoon with Laurie and two of our dear friends for some wine tasting. After tasting one of the red wines being offered, I asked my friend what she tasted. Her answer: “Vomit and peanuts!”. Now, I didn’t taste either of those things in the wine and never have in any wine I have sampled. Also, that was definitely the first time I had ever heard those two descriptors used to characterize the flavors of a wine! I also didn’t tell her she was wrong; Instead, I just laughed hysterically (with her, not at her, …!).

Second, the more you take the time to really think about the wine you are tasting, the quicker you will learn to better appreciate what you are drinking and to develop your wine “vocabulary” so you can more accurately describe what you are tasting and smelling. In addition, you will become more knowledgeable about wine and more confident in your ability to share your thoughts and insights about wine with others.

Lastly, there are many factors that influence your perspective on and enjoyment (or lack thereof) of a wine when you taste it – it’s not just about the liquid in the glass and how it tastes and smells. It’s also about the moment when you are tasting the wine: where you are, who you are with, what you are doing and the specifics of the occasion. All of these factors can influence your perception and enjoyment of the wine.

I recall an afternoon Laurie and I spent with my sister Laura at a Napa Valley winery called La Familia di Robert Mondavi that produces Italian varietal wines in the Valley. The day was absolutely gorgeous, and we set up a picnic on a hillside with a fantastic view of the valley and poured many glasses of a pinot grigio from the winery as we enjoyed our food and the beautiful weather, amazing scenery, and great company. The wine was superb, and we bought a few bottles that were shipped to our home in Virginia. When we got home, we popped open one of the bottles to enjoy out on our deck, eagerly anticipating the fantastic wine we had tasted in Napa Valley that day. But we were disappointed in what we tasted: it was very good but didn’t come close to comparing to the wine we had in Napa Valley. That’s because the wine tasted better that day in Napa due to the experience we were having (the weather, the company, everything about the moment) which influenced our perception of the wine. We still enjoyed the wine in Virginia, but it just wasn’t the same.

Next week we’ll properly taste a glass of wine together in my blog. I’ll be tasting a 2018 Robert Mondavi Winery Napa Valley Fume Blanc White Wine and will walk through the “five S’s” with you as I taste the wine. If you have time, go out and buy a bottle of it so we can compare notes (you should be able to find it easily in a grocery store or wine store near you in the Sauvignon Blanc section).

In the meantime, stop gulping your wine and start thinking more about what you are drinking while you enjoy your wine!