How To Maximize Your Wine Tasting Experience

In the past I hosted monthly wine tasting classes and people found these tips helpful. People who do not know much about wine, but enjoy drinking it, may notice a lot of wine jargon. Wines can be cheap and expensive, wines may seem like they all taste the same, and the labels can be overwhelming. If you want to learn more about the wine you are drinking, this page is a great place to begin.

I practice these 4 steps every time I drink wine at home, restaurants, wineries, etc. They are referred to as the 4 S's: See, Swirl, Sniff, Sip.

See

• Hold your glass at an angle and look at its color 
• It is best to look against white paper or a table cloth
• As wine ages the coloring changes 
• For white wine, the color and hue change from a light straw color to a golden yellow 
• For red wine, the color and hue change from a purple to a brick red 
• Check for clarity or sediment 

Swirl

• Swirl the wine and look at the way it slides down the glass 
• When legs/tears are longer, this usually is related to higher alcohol content 
• When legs/tears are shorter, this is usually related to lower alcohol content
• Swirling also releases all the aromas the wine has to offer

Sniff

• After you swirl the wine, put your nose right into your glass
• What does it remind you of?
• Your first impressions are the most vivid 
• The odor will change as the wine breathes 
• Practice using an aroma wheel:
• Identify aromas
• Learn terminology 
• What do you smell?
• What does the smell remind you of?

Sip

• Take a medium size sip and let the wine roll around your mouth and the sides of your tongue
• Experience the finish of the wine. The wine's "finish" is referred to as the aftertaste or flavors at the end after swallowing the wine