You have decided you want to learn more about wine, which should include fine tuning your taste buds. One great way to start your journey is by taking a wine tour to see how wine is made to learn some of the differences in taste. The following guide will help you understand the basic rules of wine tasting and why they are important to follow.
The Basic Rules To Follow When Wine Tasting
Make sure you understand the following etiquette:
Spitting The Wine
One thing that you might find a little strange is that everyone spits when they are wine tasting. The custom is not only acceptable, but necessary. Swallowing enough wine may impair your mind and diminish your ability to taste the subtle differences in each wine. You might spit on the ground, the sink, a cup, or a shared spittoon. A spittoon is just a container that is used to spit out wine.
Gurgling The Wine
Yes, people will gurgle or slurp as they taste each wine, or at least the experienced wine tasters will. This practice is very useful, especially if your taste buds are not fine tuned in regards to wine. The point of gurgling your wine just a bit is to allow a little oxygen in, which helps bring out the taste of the wine. You can think of oxygen as salt to the wine.
Abstain From Wearing Strong Scents
One important thing to remember about wine tasting is that the aroma of the wine plays a role in the experience. You will see other wine tasters smelling the wine before taking a sip of the drink. But, the aroma of wine is so faint that other aromas may interfere. Experienced wine tasters may not appreciate you wearing strong-smelling cologne, perfume, or other scents while you are tasting wine because it might interfere with their conclusions.
This does include smoking because the smell of cigarettes tends to stick with you.
​Holding The Glass
The last thing you should remember is to hold your wine glass correctly. Wine is very delicate, and many things could affect the taste, including your own body heat. So be sure to hold the wine glass by the bottom of the stem.
These are just some basic etiquette guidelines, but do not worry too much because a wine tour guide anticipates beginners being present and is eager to answer any questions that you might have.
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