Tasting a wine can be a bit daunting. Which method to choose? How to hold a glass of wine? What are the stages of tasting?

These are all questions that many of us ask ourselves when tasting a wine. In the end, it is not really complicated, you just need to trust your senses.

Wine tasting is a special moment. It’s not just about drinking the wine; it’s about having a conversation with the bottle. – Where are you from? – What stories will your grapes teel me? – What memories will I keep from this experience?

The place in which you are about to taste should also complete the experience. If it´s a casual tasting, the place should be fairly lit and at the correct temperature. You should avoid strong surrounding smells, as much as possible because they could distort what you smell and if you can add to that a magnificent view, you are in the right place to taste.

Also, choose the right glasses for your wine tasting. The tulip-shaped glasses will be the most suitable for your tasting and take care to hold your glass of wine properly during the tasting. You should keep your hand positioned toward the lower half of the stem, so that you don’t change the characteristics of the wine, especially by changing its temperature with the heat from your hands.

Taking into account all the previous aspects, tasting a wine requires that you trust your senses.

The sight – The first step to properly taste a wine is to admire it.

Its clarity, transparency and colour can indicate what type of wine we are tasting, its age and if something is wrong with it.

The nose – second tasting step.

It consists in smelling the wine and recognising its aromas – expression of the wine which is distinguished by a recognisable scent.

The olfactory characteristics of wines give us an excellent idea of their origin, the varieties used, the quality and the defects of the wine. The perception of quality varies from person to person and just because one likes wines with tropical aromas does not mean that a wine with mineral aromas does not have a high quality. Gently stir (not shaken!) the wine to release the aromas that will concentrate in the glass and inhale

The mouth: third tasting step.

It consists in tasting the wine. We sense the aromatic presence of the wine in the mouth and even after swallowing. Humans have taste receptors in the taste buds and in other areas, including the upper surface of the tongue and the epiglottis. Flavour receptors in the mouth detect the five flavours, sweetness, acidity, salty, bitter and umami.

The analysis of all these sensations is done by our brain, which relates them to previous memories and this is how we can relate the aromas and tastes of the wine with something we know, such as the smell and taste of the fruit, the smell of gun powder or even wet soil.

But always remember, although knowledge is a wonderful thing, the last thing you should be worried about is being judged by how you taste a wine. Just enjoy!!