The Art of Wine Tasting

​Ah, wine! It’s something that can add so much to a meal, and is also perfect for simply sharing with someone special. The more you learn about wine, the more you begin to detect the differences and understand your own palate and preferences. Whether you enjoy all wines, prefer reds or whites, or have begun to find select varietals and vintages you adore, a wine tasting is always a great experience. It can open the door to new wine favorites; for example, those who lean towards dry reds like cabernet and merlot may find that they enjoy a white like chardonnay as well. And as you further pursue the art of wine tasting, you’ll begin to notice differences depending on region, the year the grapes were harvested, and even specific vineyards. The more you know about wine, the more you can appreciate it – but even novices can enjoy a wine tasting led by an experienced sommelier.

Here are a few tips to get you started.

1. Glass size and shape. There are different wine glasses for red and white wines for good reason. Red wine glasses tend to be taller and wider than white wine glasses because they usually hold stronger, bolder wines that need to breathe. The larger glasses allow the aroma and flavor to fully emerge.
2. The swirl. The reason for swirling a glass of wine is to help it breathe and to raise the aroma, so that you can detect more subtle smells that overlap. It also allows you to see the “legs” – the lines that form on the sides of the glass in runnels – on full-bodied wines.
3. The aroma. 80% of taste actually comes from smell, which is why it really helps you to enjoy the wine more by taking in the aroma first. You may also find that you can detect things in the aroma that aren’t as apparent when you simply rely on your taste buds.
4. The sip. While many may feel the urge to take a full swallow right away, when you take just a small sip and let it slide over your tongue slowly, you are better able to detect individual elements of the wine:

•           The tip of your tongue perceives sweetness
•           The inner sides notice sourness and/or acidity
•           The outer sides of the tongue sense saltiness
•           The back part of the tongue tastes bitterness and/or alcohol
•           The aftertaste is known as “the finish” and is often different from what you tasted while the wine was actually in your mouth

1. Tastes vary. Everyone has differences in their senses of smell and taste, and even the number of taste buds you have varies from person to person. This is why it's important to try a wine for yourself instead of simply taking an expert’s opinion.
2. Why spit? Some wine tasters feel that they get a better sense of the wine by not swallowing, while some people would prefer to save their palate for future wines. If you tend to be a lightweight, you may find that swallowing early on in a wine tasting is detrimental to your ability to enjoy later wines. But it’s completely up to you!
3. Build the intensity. Because some tastes can be more overpowering than others, the general rule is to try dry wines before sweet wines and white wines before reds, which tend to be stronger.
4. Food affects the taste of wine. You will find that a good sommelier instructs you on which foods to try with the wine… and enables you to try the wine alone first. This is because the flavors of the food will mix in your mouth with the wine's taste, altering it in subtle or substantial ways.

Ultimately, the choice of choosing wines when eating out or relaxing at home is completely up to you. Some people prefer to choose their wine to fit their meal, while others simply choose the wine they like best to enjoy. The bottom line is that the “right” way to drink wine is the way you enjoy it!

Stein Eriksen Lodge features over 1,100 different wine selections. During your stay with us, you can enjoy a Blind Tasting (we select the wines) for up to 20 guests, offering two white and four red wines paired with a selection of plated meat and cheese for $150 per person. Or, you can choose your own wines to enjoy with up to 20 guests. You simply pay for the bottles you select, along with a $100 Sommelier Fee, and may also choose to purchase a meat and cheese plate to accompany your wine selections. Either way, it’s a memorable way to spend an hour or more, held within our distinctive cellar tasting area.

For more information on how you can enjoy your own personal wine tasting experience, call (435) 645-6455