An examination by taste is the third stage of the wine-tasting after visual examination and olfactory examination. Tasting confirms what we have understood about the nature of the wine during the first two steps of the wine tasting.

In the mouth, we recognize several basic flavors. The tip of the tongue perceives the sweet side, before recognizing acidity (a slice of lemon for example), the sides on the back of the tongue, salty flavors. Beyond these basic tastes, the tongue perceives certain tactile sensations such as astringency and bitterness. Read the rest of this entry »

Smell is a precious sense, which allows us to discover a wine and which adds greatly to the pleasure of wine tasting. The nose can reveal the characteristics of a wine and help us to better understand it. An olfactory examination by an experienced taster can reveal the region, the varietal, the vintage, etc… But the smell is also and above all a pleasant sensation that makes wine tasting more enjoyable.

To assess a wine, we must first smell the wine without swirling the glass and try to determine what we have smelled (this is referred to as the “first nose”). This reveals the dominant aromas. Then, we will discover the “second nose” with its more complex aromas, gently swirl the glass to oxygenate the wine and then sniff again. Read the rest of this entry »

Observing the color and smelling the bouquet of a wine before putting it into one’s mouth is not a mere ritual. These steps provide the most important information about the wine being tasted. This is the first step in the tasting. This visual examination helps you to learn about the density and age of wine by its color. Read the rest of this entry »