Wine-Tasting in Five Easy Steps

1. See

The first step in assessing a wine is simply to look at it. Holding the glass at an angle against a white background will give you a truer impression of its colour – or 'robe' - intensity, transparency and brightness, all of which are useful indicators of quality. Then take a first sniff.

2. Swirl

A gentle swirl increases the surface area of wine in contact with the air. This helps to release the aromas.

3. Sniff

Don’t be shy: stick your nose right into the glass and take a good lungful of the aroma. The 'bouquet' or 'nose' of a wine tells you a lot about it: a young wine will have a lot of 'primary' aromas, mainly of fruit, while a more mature example will also display earthier 'secondary' aromas.

4. Sip

Now you can actually drink it. The upper surface of your tongue is covered with taste buds, which detect five basic tastes:

Bitterness – dark chocolate, coffee
Saltiness (not very common in wine!)
Sweetness – boiled sweets, sugar
Sourness – lemon juice
Savoury (also called umami) – mushrooms, Parmesan

5. Savour

As well as taste, you're trying to capture the 'feel' of the wine. Hold it in your mouth and let your palate explore the wine's tactile qualities, much as you would handle an object. Spit or swallow the wine, then concentrate on how long the flavour remains in your mouth; this is the 'finish' or 'length'.

What is a 'quality' wine?

‘Quality’ is a highly subjective measure that doesn’t always relate directly to a wine’s origins, age or price. Even many wine professionals admit that it’s largely down to circumstances, perception and personal taste. Fortunately for us amateurs, there are some fairly reliable indicators you can use, alongside taste and tactile sensations, to determine whether you’re drinking the right stuff or a wrong ‘un.