How to improve your wine tasting ability?

Improving the ability to taste wines is similar to improving other skills, such as playing golf, tennis or cooking. Many times people tell me that they are not able to identify the aromas and fruit flavors in the wine, to which I reply that it is something that requires patience and practice. Those who attend my courses acquire basic skills very quickly, which makes tasting wine an experience full of pleasant surprises and … sometimes a click. Mostly you want a perfectly chilled wine in any occasion and so you need a perfect wine coolers. I am using wine coolers and refrigerators from KingsBottle USA and believe me they are awesome to maintain its taste.  

To start improving your ability to taste, I would suggest you buy a wine made with Moscatel . There are many available in the market and you don’t have to spend much. One that I especially like is Pepe Mendoza Moscatel Chardonnay, from the DO Alicante.

The three basic steps are: first observe, then smell and finally try. First pour a small amount into the glass, observe it, appear clean and bright? Second step: Turn the wine into the glass to release the aromas and inhale once deeply. That’s where practice is required to identify the aromas. I suggest a Muscat because it is the only grape that has a characteristic grape aroma, “it smells like grapes”, other white wines will have different aromas. Try to identify them with terms like “fruity,” “floral,” or “mineral.” If it is fruity, with practice, your ability to taste wines will allow you to distinguish between citrus and tropical fruits. Citrus aromas can be further specified, being orange, lemon or lime. When you get to that point,

Observing and smelling you will know a lot about what wine is like. If you don’t appreciate anything, don’t give up, try again, remember that the goal is to develop capacity.

Now taste the wine, take a small sip, and turn it around the mouth. Here the ability is to take some air and “sip” the wine. Everyone can do it, think of it as if it were a mouthwash. Doing so has the effect of releasing the flavors of the wine. Also, without air we cannot appreciate the flavors. Grape aromas should appear on the palate. Again, the more you practice, the easier it will be.

Following these steps, more complex wines will be easier and reveal their true character and flavors. Take a classic Rioja, with which you are undoubtedly familiar, have you ever taken the time to taste it properly? Qatar Riojas, starting with a young one, going through a rearing and then a reservation, is a great way to improve your tasting skills. The young wine is characterized by its aromas and flavors of ripe red fruits (with practice, you will be able to identify if they are raspberry and maybe some red cherries). The aging and reserve have more complex aromas and flavors, such as red fruit compote, along with vanilla, roasted oak and sweet spices, which come from the time the wine has spent in oak barrels.

It is a good idea to attend tasting courses. This week I will give a tasting of two Albariños and two Rieslings from different countries. The goal is to compare and contrast their styles. Each of the wines has varietals of different characteristics, but also each one is different due to the area where the grapes are grown and the viticultural techniques that are used. This is a fun way to practice and improve your ability to taste wines. Those with less experience learn very fast, while those with more experience are delighted to have the opportunity to practice more.

By implementing the above steps you will change “the way you taste wine”.