Quick answer: Taste wine in five steps: look at the color, swirl the glass, smell it, take a small sip and move it around your mouth, then notice the finish after you swallow. Go slowly and compare wines side by side. That's how beginners learn what they like.
Step 1: Look
Tilt the glass against something white. Pale whites tend to be lighter and crisper, and golden whites richer. Deep, inky reds tend to be bolder than pale ruby ones.
Step 2: Swirl
A few circles on the table add air and release aroma. It also shows the wine's "legs," which hint at alcohol and body.
Step 3: Smell
Take short sniffs. Look for fruit first, then flowers, then oak or spice. Most of what we call taste is actually smell.
Step 4: Sip
Take a small sip and let it cover your whole tongue. Notice sweetness on the tip, acidity on the sides, and the drying grip of tannin on your gums in reds. Ask yourself whether it feels light or full.
Step 5: Finish
After you swallow, count how long the flavor lasts. A long, pleasant finish is a sign of a well-made wine.
How do beginners figure out what they like?
Taste in flights and change one thing at a time: dry vs. sweet, light vs. bold, steel vs. oak. Note one word for each wine. After a few visits, a pattern appears. At any Landon Winery tasting room, servers can build a starter flight from the current menu.
Frequently Asked Questions
What order should you taste wine in?
Sparkling and light whites first, then fuller whites and rosé, then reds, then sweet and dessert wines.
Should you eat between wines?
Water or a plain cracker resets your palate between pours.
Do you have to spit at a wine tasting?
No, but it's normal and helps if you're tasting many wines.
Adapted from Bob Landon's column in HelloNation.