What to know before heading out to the wineries. Do a little research to plan out your day. Are you looking for bold reds, delicate whites, bubbly or something in between? Pack a few essentials for the day trip; water, snacks crackers or a baguette. A picnic lunch is highly recommended to help absorb the wines you taste throughout the day. You don’t have to drink everything poured into your glass, a good rule of thumb is to drink only what you prefer and what you choose to taste. Ask the wine attendant questions about the winemaker, fruit, vineyard source, and anything under the sun. The attendants are trained to educate their tasting guests and this is your chance to get it straight from the source. Take notes on the wines you taste for future reference. Don’t get lost with the notion that a highly rated wine is the best wine on the tasting list. Each tasting is subjective and if you like it, it’s a great wine. With experience and education, you gain objective opinions and a deeper understanding of how it has been traditionally presented.

Glass Selection

Good glass can elevate the arousal of wine drinking by enhancing the aroma and flavor of wines. Buy glass that is smooth, not ridged to show off the depth of a wine’s color. Choose a glass with a stem so you have something to hold onto without warming the wine. Recommended glasses for bubbles are tall, thin tulip or flute shape. White wines should be served in a glass that closes near the top to concentrate the bouquet. Red wines should be served in larger balloon-shaped glasses. All wineglasses should only be filled halfway to encourage tasters to swirl the wine to release the aromas and flavors.

The 6 S’s

See – observe the wine’s color.

Swirl – tilt and spin your glass to aerate the wine that helps enhance the wine’s flavor and natural aroma.

Smell (Sniff) – stick your nose into the glass and inhale.

Sip – take a sip and taste the wine. Let the wine roll around your tongue.

Spit – expel wine from your mouth into a container so the alcohol doesn’t blur and shut down your ability to taste through multiple wines.

Savor – check for a balance of all the tastes you sense. The longer the taste stays in your mouth after swallowing, the higher the quality of the wine. And, Start again!!

Types of Tastings

Horizontal – Tasting wines from the same vintage.

Vertical – Tasting wines from different vintages.

Blind (Semi) – Tasting wines without any information about the wines.

Barrel – Tasting pre-filtered wines from the barrels.

Sensory & Evaluation

Sensory testing techniques are geared for the professional but not limited to them. Descriptive Analysis trains judges to be objective in their ratings for appearance, aroma, flavor, aftertaste, and texture. This results in a sensory profile of the wine. Sensory Training trains tasting room and winery staff to identify common aromas and flavors found in wine. Screening determines an employee’s ability to detect various defects like TCA.

Tactile Descriptors (texture)

Acetic – Denotes vinegar by overexposure to air.

Acidity – Denotes how tart a wine tastes.

Aeration – Denotes the process of intentionally exposing the wine to air to “open up.”

Aftertaste – Denotes the flavor left after the wine has been swallowed or spit out. Also known as finish.

Aging – Denotes the process of holding a wine for a period of time for integration and complexity.

Aroma – Denotes the terms used to describe the smell of the wine. Aromatic – very strong aroma.

Astringency – Mainly used to describes tannins in a white wine.

Balance – Denotes harmonious synchronization of wine elements; acid-sweet, fruit-oak-tannin, and alcohol-flavor.

Bitterness – Denotes a harsh flavor in the wine.

Body – The weight and fullness of a wine.

Complexity – Denotes the number of different flavor elements and undertones in a wine.

Crisp – A fresh, young wine that has pronounced but pleasing tartness and acidity.

Cloying – Denotes the wines sweetness is to much for the acidity.

Finish – The taste left in your mouth after swallowing the wine with character and length apart of the evaluation.

Flabby – Denotes the wines acidity is too low.

Flinty – Denotes crispness with a hint of minerality.

Hot – Denotes high alcohol in the wine.

Inky – Denotes a metallic finish in red wine.

Legs – the colorful streams left on the wall of a glass after swirling. Also known as tears.

Length – Denotes a long aftertaste of a well made, mature wine.

Intensity – Denotes a high level of concentrated flavors in a wine.

Rich – Denotes a full-bodied, luscious red wine.

Robust – Denotes a full-bodied, intense and flavorful wine.

Smooth – The wine has low alcohol, acid and tannin content. Also known as velvety.

Structure – Implying the wine is complete in flavor and aroma.

Tannins – A substance found in grape skins, seeds, and stems.

Taste – Comprised of 4 sensations detectable by the human tongue; sweet, salty, sour, and bitter.

Wine Descriptors

Earthy – Denotes aromas reminiscent of the earth.

Elegant – Denotes a wine that possesses finesse with subtle flavors that are balanced and harmonious.

Extracted – Denotes concentrated flavors often from extended skin contact.

Fruity – In reference to the body and richness of a wine made from good, ripe grapes.

Flowery – Denotes fragrance from a flower; floral scents.

Gamey – Denotes pungency in a wine reminiscent of animals.

Herbaceous (Vegetative) – Denotes the aroma of grass and leaves.

Leathery – Denotes high tannins with a thick but soft flavor.

Microbiological – Denotes a yeasty, yogurt flavor in the wine.

Rough – Denotes a course texture in the wine.

Savory – Denotes flavors in a wine that are vegetal, herbaceous, and earthy.

Spicy – Denotes peppery nuances in wine. Exotic

Sweetness – Denotes sweet flavors in wine.

Tar – Denotes aroma in Syrah and Nebiollo wines.

Woody – Denotes aroma and flavors of oak in wine.

Faults

Brettanomyces – A bacteria living in dirty wooden barrels that infects the wine with an unclean, mousy flavor.

Cork Taint – A wine that has been infected by TCA a bacteria found in the cork.

Geranium – Denotes an unpleasant chemical smell, often associated with too much sorbic acid additive.

Hydrogen Sulphide – Denotes an unpleasant rotten egg aroma when used in excess.

Mercaptan – Denotes aromas that smell like rotten eggs due to hydrogen sulfide formation. A wine fault.

Metallic – Denotes a tactile sensation that comes from low-ethanol, dry, high-acid wines.

Oxidation – Denotes a stale or flat wine that has been exposed to air. A little oxidation can be positive; it can help to soften and open up although too much exposure can turn the wine-dark in color.

Sulfur Dioxide – When used to heavily in wine preservation can produce an unpleasant aroma.

Volatile Acidity – All wines have trace amounts, in excess, causes wine to have an unpleasant aroma.

Decanting

Decanting a wine involves pouring the wine off any sediment that may have settled out of it. Decanting may also serve as an esthetic purpose if your table set up was adorned with a beautiful decanter.

Toast

A tradition to celebrate or congratulate ones success or special event. The act of clinking glasses together in celebration.

Scoring Wine

Appearance (max score 3) Color Clarity Depth
Nose (max score 7) Intensity Complexity Aroma
Palate (max score 10) Flavor Acidity Astringency Body Structure Length Finish

Gold Medal 18.5 – 20 points
Silver Medal 17.0 – 18.4 points
Bronze Medal 15.5 – 16.9 points