Do you always feel embarrassed when you are at a bar or a restaurant and you get asked to taste the wine? Most probably that is a consequence of the fact that you have no idea what you should be looking out for when actually tasting wine. Worry not! We are coming to your rescue with this blog post to take you through the basics of wine tasting.

The 5 S’s of Wine Tasting

This is the most basic approach which is suggested to wine tasting beginners. Unless you are planning to become a sommelier, you should be fine if you follow these simple steps.

Step 1: See

Simply look at the wine and study its colour intensity. Does it have bubbles or does it contain sediment? etc.…

Step 2: Swirl

Everyone seems to have learned this step, but in reality, few people know why they are actually swirling the wine. When doing so, you are allowing the aroma compounds to come out. Something else which is worth observing during one of your swirls is how the legs develop. For example, if you can observe dense legs, this may highlight sugar, higher alcohol, or both!

Step 3: Sniff / Smell

Whether you choose to bury your nose in the glass or keep it a bit distant from your nose it doesn’t really matter. Ultimately, in this step you are trying to see how intense the aromas are and what smells you can get out of the glass.

Step 4: Sip

Oh yes! Our favorite step! Take a small sip, swish it around their mouth vigorously (covering all parts of the tongue, top of your mouth, and gum lines), and swallow. Wait for a second for your tongue to become used to the new sensations. Then repeat the process with a larger sip before evaluating. There is a lot which can be discovered about your wine during this step. However, without going into any detail, just sip and evaluate whether you like the taste of the wine. After all that is why most people drink wine – because it tastes good!

Step 5: Savor

During this final step, take a moment to think about whether the flavors are to your liking, whether the wine could be more or less intense, whether there is any element such as acid, tannin or alcohol which is overpowering etc…

Once you have gone through all these steps it is now time to sit back, relax and enjoy your wine!

At Maria Rosa Wine Estate we organize wine and olive oil tasting sessions for small groups. If this peaks your interest, we invite you to get in touch with our events manager in order to book your tasting session by calling on 7947 1144 or sending an email on events@briju.com.mt. We look forward to welcoming you.