Wine Tasting for Beginners

🍇 Tasting wine is deliciously rewarding, but many people have no idea where to begin. Here are a few basics if you're a newbie and want to get aboard the wine appreciation train.

🚆CUE THE WHISTLE!

✨ Look: Hold the glass by the stem (not the bowl; you want to avoid warming the wine with your hand). Then, examine the color of the wine against a white background by tilting your glass slightly. Observe the color at the edge of the wine, which can indicate its age and condition. For ex., a pale, watery rim suggests a thin wine, and it looks murky, it might be past its prime or exposed to heat. (You'll find out soon enough, so no worries yet.)

✨ Smell: Swirl the wine gently in the glass to release its aromas. As Miles said -- yes, I have to get a SIDEWAYS reference in here -- get your nose in the glass and take a few sniffs. Try to identify the different aromas—are they fruity, floral, oaky, spicy, or earthy?

✨ Taste: Take a small sip and let it linger in your mouth for a moment. Think about the different flavors you taste - are they a match for the aromas you smelled? Also, consider the wine's body (how heavy or light it feels in your mouth), its (mouth-watering) acidity, and its tannins (a drying sensation often felt in red wines). Notice how long the flavors linger after you swallow.

✨ Evaluate: Consider how much you enjoyed the wine overall. Did you like the flavors and aromas? Was it well-balanced?

✨ Describe the wine using specific terms (taking notes is a great way to learn). This will help you remember what you liked and didn't like about it.

🍷 THE BEST THING: Practice makes perfect, and the more you taste, the better you'll become at identifying different aromas and flavors in wine. Experimenting is the fun part!

✨ Trust your own palate -- the most important thing is to enjoy yourself and learn more about what you like and don't like.

🍇 ENJOY THE RIDE!