How to Taste Wine: Step 3 – Take a Sip!

Now taste the wine and let it roll around on your tongue. Next, let a small breath of air in and allow the wine and air to mingle. This allows you to taste the flavors more fully. Our tongues only perceive sweet, sour, salty or bitter. The sour or pucker factor you may feel is the wine’s acidity. Some red wines have a bitter or astringent sensation that are called tannins, which come from grape skins and will sometimes feel like your mouth is dry.

Swallow & savor! The “finish” is the taste and sensation that lingers after you swallow. Rather than another gulp, see what your wine offers in between sips. A wine that you continue to taste for some time after swallowing would be described as having a long finish. Many wines are not truly their best until paired with the right dish—so don’t forget to try them with food.

Laurie Forster, The Wine Coach, is a wine speaker who strives to bring wine education, wine tasting, and wine tutorials to the masses. Videos and interviews with Laurie address questions such as how to taste wine, how to drink wine, how to pick wine, how to choose wine for occasions, and how to chill wine. Wine-related topics such as which wine glass to use, which wine is good for your health, what wines to pair with cheese, chocolate, and other foods, and other wine education videos are also provided. Consider The Wine Coach your virtual sommelier, educating you and helping you go from wine tasting 101 to wine aficionado.