Tasting wine is a different experience from simply drinking it. The purpose of wine tasting is to truly experience the wine. That means slowing down and taking time to observe the sights, smells, sensations, and tastes that each wine brings. ONEHOPE wine tasting events elevate the experience as it is shared with friends and supports a cause. It is an amazing way to share wine and give hope!
SIGHT | What color is it?
Tip the glass in front of the light check for clarity. Saturation + Flavor
Inspecting the wine in the glass can help predict what's to come on the nose and palate. The color, depth and intensity of wine can offer a glimpse into its age, concentration, body and overall style. Notice if the wine is clear and brilliant or cloudy and dull. Colors give the taster clues to the grape variety, and whether the wine was aged in wood. Typically, wine that had been oak aged is darker in color.
🍇 White wines gain color as they age, while red wines lose color.
SWIRL | Give it air.
To swirl is to aerate the wine allowing oxygen to mix with the wine which releases its aromas and flavors. Swirling releases the wine bouquet. When you swirl a glass of wine, you literally release all the unique aroma compounds which attach themselves to the oxygen in the air. This helps separate the aromas in the wine which will enrich the smelling and tasting experience.
When you get a new pour smell the wine first before you swirl. Take note of what any aromas detected. Then swirl a few times and notice a slightly different aroma. Swirling brings out the flavor in wine.
🍇 Wines that are high in alcohol content or dense and rich with tannins or sugars will swirl more slowly in the glass and stick to the sides. That is called wine legs.
SMELL | What do you smell?
Detect the various aromas in the wine which can range from fruits and spices to earthy and floral notes.
Smell is the main sense used in wine tasting so lowering your nose to the glass and sniffing the wine before tasting enhances the experience. About 80% of how something tastes comes from its aroma, so smelling a wine reveals most of its flavors.
🍇 Aromas found in wine are called "stereoisomers" which are mirror-images to smells we are familiar with from our day-to day lives like cherry or blackberry.
SIP | What do you taste?
Taste the wine and assess its flavors, body, and texture.
Take a slightly larger sip than usual and hold the wine in your mouth for 3-5 seconds letting it coat the surface. It is here that they complex taste experience and characteristics of a wine actually happen. Look for sweetness, fruitiness, saltiness, acidity, bitterness, and alcohol.
What is your overall impression? Does any component overpower the others or is the wine balanced?
🍇 Sipping offers a great opportunity to discover the distinct characteristics of the wine.
SAVOR | Does the taste linger?
Reflect on your overall impression of the wine. Did you enjoy it? What stood out to you the most?
Don't rush through the savoring; it's the step that will help the taster learn what qualities they like most in wines. Savoring is what makes wine more special than any other beverage. Savoring is the experience that a taster has with wine as the lingering aromas, texture, and complexity stay on your tongue and in the back of your throat. This lingering sensation is also called the finish. A long and complex finish is a good indication of a quality wine.
🍇 When a wine leaves you with the desire for another sip, you know you've found a winner.
The Five S's can also be found in the ONEHOPE Wine Tasting Guide.