Questions to Consider for Your Next Wine Tasting Experience

Each wine tasting experience is unique. Many pieces play a part in how you perceive and enjoy (or not) a particular wine. Whether you are sipping a glass at home, in a restaurant or at a winery, here are some questions to consider about yourself and the wine during your next wine tasting experience:

YOU

-Did you just eat? Brush your teeth?

-Are you hungry or thirsty?

-Are you drinking outside or inside? What’s the temperature like? Is it humid, windy or rainy?

-Who are you with (and do you like them)? 

-Is a server (or tasting notes sheet) presenting you with information about that wine (and are they polite or pedantic)?

-Is there music or noise? FUN INFO: There is a lot of research on how music shapes our palate experience.

-How old are you? FUN NOTE: Background wine experience as well as any taste/smell loss affects tasting experience over time.

-How are you feeling? Happy, celebratory, sad, annoyed, or under the weather?

-Did you pour the wine or did someone else? FUN FACT: As a tactile learner, I often begin evaluating a wine by its pour. 

-Do you consider yourself a “red wine/white wine drinker”? Have you had that region/producer/variety before? FUN IDEA: Sometimes we approach a new wine through the filter and bias of past experiences. Theme a day/weekend/week/month to explore particular wines more in-depth such as wines from the Loire Valley, different Texas Viogniers or Old World versus New World Pinot Noirs.

THE WINE

-Is the wine chilled? Super cold? Room temperature?

-How old is the wine?

-What is the vintage, and what were the growing conditions like that year?

-Is the wine a single varietal or a blend?

-Did the wine come in contact with any oak?

-Has the wine been decanted (or could it benefit from it)?

-What is the amount of wine left in the bottle before your pour? 

-Is the wine paired with any food?

-Is this your first or last wine tasting of the day? What wine came before it?

Remember: Wine is a living thing! Next time you pour the same wine, you may have a different set of circumstances that may change your experience. Be mindful using the questions above as you taste to become more familiar with how you enjoy (or not) what’s in your glass. 

Cheers, and Happy Tasting!