Get $5 Credit!

Sign In

Don't have an account? Sign Up
To continue as a guest, click here

Sign Up to be a Member

Your personal data will be used to support your experience throughout this website, to manage access to your account, and for other purposes described in our privacy policy.

I'm already a member. Sign In

Forgot Password

We will send you an email with instructions on how to reset your password.

Skip to main content
×
  • How to Taste Wine?

    With every occasion, tasting wine can be fun and exciting. Enhance your enjoyment of wine through your senses of see, smell, and taste. Learn more about the tasting notes and wine aromas.

    Observe

    The initial step of inspecting the appearance of your wine is helpful to firstly determine if your wine has any fault. As an exaggerated example, if your wine looks bright green, then your wine may be out-of-condition. Another reason why this is important is because the colour of your wine can potentially provide an indication of age.

    Observe

    The initial step of inspecting the appearance of your wine is helpful to firstly determine if your wine has any fault. As an exaggerated example, if your wine looks bright green, then your wine may be out-of-condition. Another reason why this is important is because the colour of your wine can potentially provide an indication of age.

    Pale

    Medium

    Deep

    Nose

    Swirl your wine glass and take a sniff. What aromas do you get? Is the aroma more fruit-forward, or is it more earthy? Does it smell fresh or pungent? Describing how a wine smells is not easy and can be subjective. There is no right or wrong answer, but below is a table of suggested aromas that are commonly shared amongst the wine lovers community, and may better allow you to express your notes to be collectively understood.

    Nose

    Swirl your wine glass and take a sniff. What aromas do you get? Is the aroma more fruit-forward, or is it more earthy? Does it smell fresh or pungent? Describing how a wine smells is not easy and can be subjective. There is no right or wrong answer, but below is a table of suggested aromas that are commonly shared amongst the wine lovers community, and may better allow you to express your notes to be collectively understood.

    Taste

    As all parts of your tongue are sensitive to taste, it is important to coat the wine in all parts of your tongue when taking a sip, while drawing air through your lips and nose. Below are common wine characteristics you will naturally experience as you taste each wine. As you continue to taste your wine, if sensations linger, you would have experienced a “long finish”.

    Taste

    As all parts of your tongue are sensitive to taste, it is important to coat the wine in all parts of your tongue when taking a sip, while drawing air through your lips and nose. Below are common wine characteristics you will naturally experience as you taste each wine. As you continue to taste your wine, if sensations linger, you would have experienced a “long finish”.

    Acidity

    Acidity is the tartness in a wine that helps balance out the sweetness and bitterness of a wine. The sensation from tasting a wine with high acidity would leave your mouth salivating. White wines tend to have relatively higher acidity than red wines, and provide freshness to the wine.

    Tannin

    Tannins within a wine are derived from grape skins, hence why we associate tannins with red wines. The degree of tannin present in a wine is dependent on how long the wine has been in skin contact with the grape skins, as well the type of grape used in winemaking. When tannins are high, you will notice a strong, mouth-drying sensation.

    Body

    Body is the richness/weight of the wine that is the sum of all other wine components (e.g. alcohol, tannins, sugar, aroma).

    Sweetness

    Wines can be produced dry or sweet, with sweetness generally dictated by residual sugar left-over from vinification. This is measured by g/L of Residual Sugar (RS).

    Sweetness is often misunderstood as consumers may refer sweetness from their senses of the wine’s fruit aromas. As well, other wine characteristics may also influence a wine’s level of sweetness. Nonetheless, below are popular styles of wine made in a different level of sweetness.

    Acidity

    Acidity is the tartness in a wine that helps balance out the sweetness and bitterness of a wine. The sensation from tasting a wine with high acidity would leave your mouth salivating. White wines tend to have relatively higher acidity than red wines, and provide freshness to the wine.

    Tannin

    Tannins within a wine are derived from grape skins, hence why we associate tannins with red wines. The degree of tannin present in a wine is dependent on how long the wine has been in skin contact with the grape skins, as well the type of grape used in winemaking. When tannins are high, you will notice a strong, mouth-drying sensation.

    Body

    Body is the richness/weight of the wine that is the sum of all other wine components (e.g. alcohol, tannins, sugar, aroma).

    Sweetness

    Wines can be produced dry or sweet, with sweetness generally dictated by residual sugar left-over from vinification. This is measured by g/L of Residual Sugar (RS).

    Sweetness is often misunderstood as consumers may refer sweetness from their senses of the wine’s fruit aromas. As well, other wine characteristics may also influence a wine’s level of sweetness. Nonetheless, below are popular styles of wine made in a different level of sweetness.

    Tasting Notes

    Sweetness

    Body

    Acidity

    Tannin

    Alcohol Content

    13.5%

    Fill out our Quiz to determine your unique tasting profile.

    Take the Quiz

    Wine Aromas

    “Generally speaking, wine aromas are achieved through a combination of nosing and tasting your wine. Wine aromas can have a variety of smells (e.g. floral, fruity, earthy), which are derived from a combination of factors including 1. The grape variety(ies) used to make the wine, 2. The winemaking process, and 3. The age factor of the wine. Its always fun to try and see if you are able to guess the wine through experiencing the wine aromas!

    As your nose and mouth are connected through the same airway and use the same types of receptors, it is important to keep your nose and mouth clean to ensure a full tasting experience. This is just like when you are enjoying your food!”

    Fruit

    Garnet hue

    Orange zest

    Spice & Oak

    Dried fig

    Cocoa powder

    Herbal, Floral & Vegetal

    Aromas of black cherry and pomegranate

    Flavours of blackberry

    Fruit

    Garnet hue

    Orange zest

    Spice & Oak

    Dried fig

    Cocoa powder

    Herbal, Floral & Vegetal

    Aromas of black
    cherry and pomegranate

    Flavours of blackberry

    Reflect

    It is important to arrive at a conclusion on whether you enjoyed the wine, after carefully thinking about your tasting experience. Wine is a very subjective topic, and the above process is designed to help you better articulate what you like or don’t like. As you continue to taste more wines, you will have a better idea of what you enjoy. Tasting wine is also a fun experience for Adventurers who like to try new wines they have never tried before.

    Want to be surprised?

    Try our Weekday Warrior and Adventurer wine collections bringing you a unique tasting experience of different wines every month.

    SUBSCRIPTION BUNDLES

    Share your wine tasting experience with other members at our Virtual Wine Tasting events.

    EVENTS
    To Top

    Invite & Earn

    X
    Signup to start sharing your link
    Signup