Beyond the Basics: How to Expand Your Wine Tasting Skills

Wine tasting is a multi-sensory experience that can be enjoyed by amateurs and experts alike. However, if you've been to a few tastings and feel like you've hit a plateau, it might be time to expand your knowledge and skills.

1. Smell Everything

To identify the flavors in a wine, your sense of smell is the most important tool you have. Take some time before you taste to smell the wine and try and pick out some of the aromas. To improve your sense of smell, start smelling wine-related items such as corks, barrels, fermenting grapes and even soil.

2. Taste Blind

Challenge your palate by tasting wines blindly. Have a friend choose a few wines and cover up the label so that you can't see what you are tasting. This will help you to focus on your senses only and improve your ability to recognize flavors and aromas.

3. Learn about Terroir

The climate, soil, and topography of a vineyard all contribute to the taste of the wine produced there. Learn about the influence of "terroir" (the French term for the natural environment) on wine flavor and aroma.

4. Attend Wine Seminars and Classes

Attending wine seminars and classes can be a great way to expand your wine knowledge. You'll learn about wine regions, grape varietals, winemaking techniques, and more. Classes often involve tasting different types of wines, which is a fun and educational way to improve your tasting skills.

5. Keep a Wine Journal

Keeping a wine journal is a great way to track your progress and remember the wines you've tasted. Write down the name, vintage, and region of each wine you taste as well as any notes on its aroma, flavor, and texture. This will help you identify what styles of wine you like and dislike.

Conclusion

Expanding your wine tasting skills takes time and effort, but it's well worth it. By smelling everything, tasting blindly, learning about terroir, attending wine seminars, and keeping a wine journal, you will improve your ability to identify and describe different wines.

So why not challenge yourself to take your wine tasting skills to the next level?