Wine tasting need not be a daunting task. Let us make it easy for you!
As with any new skill, it is all about practice and breaking it down into simpler steps. When tasting wine, it is important to engage all your senses and this is where the 5 S’s of wine tasting come in to help you get the most out of any glass of wine.
SEE
Before you get your nose or lips anywhere close to the glass, look at the wine and notice its colour. The intensity and characteristics of a wine’s colour can offer insight into its age, concentration, body and style. As a general rule, colour intensity tends to match flavour intensity.
(Tip: It is easier to judge the colour of a wine by putting the wine against a clear white background and tilting the glass at a 45° angle.)
SWIRL
It isn’t time to taste just yet. We need to “open up” the wine by swirling it gently a few times. This will aerate it and release its aromas.


SNIFF
Now the wine is ready to taste, but you have to “taste” it with your nose first. Your sense of smell contributes seventy percent of what you taste so smelling the wine before tasting is essential. So take a whiff and consider what you smell. Can you smell different aromas? What does each aroma remind you of? Fruits, herbs, floral notes or something else?
SIP
Take a large sip and hold the wine in your mouth for a few seconds allowing it to coat the surface of your tongue and cheeks. This will help the wine interact with all your tastebuds and let you experience all the elements of the wine. Consider the different aspects of the wine – sweetness, acidity, alcohol, body, flavour. Does one element overpower the others or is the wine balanced?
SAVOUR
Now it’s time to savour the wine. Once you swallow it, notice how long the flavours linger. This is called the “finish” – observe the length and intensity of the finish.
That’s it! Now that you know the 5 S’s of wine tasting, go ahead and give it a try and tell us about your experience in the comments. Cheers!