How to Taste Wine Like a Pro

So you’re headed to a wine tasting and your main goal is to enjoy yourself – and let’s be honest, demolish the cheese and charcuterie samples. 🍷🧀 But hey, why not pick up a few wine-tasting tricks along the way? Tasting wine like a pro isn’t about acting snobbish or spouting fancy terms. It’s about maximizing your enjoyment of the wine. Plus, looking like you know what you’re doing can be part of the fun! Here’s a light-hearted guide to tasting wine like a pro, even if you’re really just there for the snacks.

1. Ditch the Pretension (Keep It Fun)

First things first: no snobbery allowed. The number one rule among modern wine pros is to avoid the old stiff, pretentious routine. You don’t need to stick out your pinkie or recite poetic notes (“I detect the soul of an old oak tree at midnight…”). In fact, doing that will just make you look silly. Real wine experts today are all about approachability. So relax! Tasting wine is not an exam, it’s an experience. If you smell “red fruit” but can’t pinpoint “Luxardo cherry compote,” it’s all good. And if you mostly smell “uh, wine,” that’s fine too! The point is to have fun and discover what you like.

Pro tip: Turn it into a game. If you’re with friends, each say the first aroma or flavour that pops into mind and laugh about the differences. One of you gets “blackberry,” another says “this just smells purple,” another says “it smells like my grandma’s living room” – all valid in the grand adventure of wine tasting. Remember, wine is subjective and even pros don’t always agree on descriptors. As long as you’re enjoying the sip, you’re doing it right.

2. Hold Your Glass by the Stem

Ever see people gripping a wine glass like it’s a mug of cocoa? Resist that urge. To look (and act) like a pro, hold your glass by the stem or base. Why? Two reasons:

• It avoids warming up the wine with your hand (important for whites and sparkling especially).

• It keeps the bowl crystal clear so you can observe the wine’s appearance.

Practice the proper hold: fingers on the stem, or you can even pinch the base. It might feel fancy at first, but it quickly becomes natural. This simple move instantly upgrades your wine-taster image. Plus, now you have a free hand for snacks!

Speaking of which, holding by the stem also prevents greasy fingerprints on the bowl – helpful when you’re alternating between salty snacks and swirling wine. Which brings us to…

3. Swirl (Without Spilling)

Ah, the classic swirl. It’s not (just) for show – swirling serves a purpose. Gently swirling your wine in the glass creates a mini wine whirlpool, which brings oxygen into the wine and releases its aromas. Think of it as letting the wine “stretch its legs” after being cooped up in a bottle. More oxygen = more smells for your nose to enjoy. Also, swirling coats the inside of the glass with a thin layer of wine, giving you a bigger surface area from which aromas can evaporate and meet your nose.

How to swirl like a pro: Keep the base of the glass on the table if you’re nervous – make small circles as if you’re drawing circles on the tabletop. Once comfortable, you can swirl mid-air with a gentle wrist motion. No need for violent sloshing. A modest swirl will do the trick (and save your shirt). After a few tries, you’ll look suave doing it.

Now, inhale deeply. Give the wine a good sniff right after swirling. Pros often take a couple of short sniffs followed by one deep inhale. You don’t have to stick your whole nose into the glass, but get close and breathe in through your nose. What do you smell? Fruits? Flowers? Something like spices or wood? This is where wine opens up a whole pantry of possible aromas. There’s no wrong answer – whatever you detect is part of the experience. If you catch a weird whiff (like wet cardboard or vinegar), the wine might be off – it happens! But most of the time, you’ll get pleasant scents that tickle your brain’s library of smells. Enjoy it.

And if you’re sneaking glances at the cheese board while sniffing – no judgment. In fact, take a bite of bread or a cracker before the next step to cleanse your palate (pros do this too, it’s not just because you’re snacky).

4. Sip and Savour (Yes, with the Funny Mouth Movements)

Now for the best part: tasting! Take a decent sip – not a tiny mouse sip, but not a gulp either, about half an ounce. Savour it by rolling it around in your mouth a bit. Pros sometimes make a soft slurping or hissing sound here – they draw a bit of air over the wine on their tongue. It might feel silly, but this aerates the wine in your mouth and can intensify the flavours. To do it: sip, then purse your lips (like you’re about to whistle) and inhale a little air across the wine. You’ll get an “aha!” moment as the wine’s flavours expand. Just don’t gargle it like mouthwash (that will look ridiculous, and overwhelm your taste buds). A gentle slurp is enough.

Try to identify a few flavour notes. Is it fruity (think berries, citrus, apple)? Earthy (maybe like mushrooms or soil)? Oakey (vanilla, toast)? There’s no need to wax poetic, but focusing on a couple of flavours can be fun. If you’re “just here for the snacks,” consider how the wine’s taste might complement those snacks. Does the crisp white go great with that goat cheese? Does the bold red make your dark chocolate taste divine? Congrats, you’re pairing like a pro!

While tasting, also note the wine’s texture (creamy? light? mouth-puckering from acidity or tannins?). Wine pros pay attention to these structure elements. But again, the goal isn’t to ace a test – it’s to notice more about what you’re drinking. The more you notice, the more you might appreciate the nuances. And if one wine doesn’t do it for you, no worries – on to the next. That’s why tastings have many options.

Now, an important aspect: to spit or not to spit? At professional tastings, experts often spit after tasting, especially if they have dozens more wines to go. It’s how they stay sober enough to remember what they liked. If you’re tasting many wines, spitting is indeed a pro move (there are usually discreet spittoons provided). But if you’re at a more casual event and you have transport sorted (please don’t drink-drive!), you can absolutely choose to swallow and fully enjoy each sip. As one wine writer quipped: if you’re tasting a reasonable number and have nowhere to be, “there’s really no need to spit”. So, you do you. No judgment from us – spitting is optional for non-professionals. If a wine is amazing, you might not want to waste it!

5. Ask Questions & Learn (or Just Nod and Snack)

Remember, at many tastings – like Winedrops Live or other festivals – the people pouring your wine love to talk about it. If you’re curious, ask a fun question: “What’s the story of this winery?” or “What food would you pair with this?” You might get a great tidbit that enhances your appreciation. Maybe the winemaker plays music to the vines, or the wine uses a rare grape varietal. Wine folks are full of anecdotes. Engaging with them (even briefly) is a pro move and often gets you insider info or a taste of something special under the table.

On the flip side, if you’re feeling shy or not actually that interested in the details, it’s perfectly fine to just smile, say “lovely!” and move along to the next pour – or to the snack station. Pro tasters always keep an eye on palate fatigue and will snack and hydrate throughout a long tasting. So you, seeking out the snack table repeatedly, are actually following best practices! Stay hydrated (grab water in between wines) and keep munching on neutral bites (bread, breadsticks) to reset your taste buds. This not only helps you taste better, it also helps you last longer before the wines go to your head.

Speaking of snacks: ever notice how some foods make the wine taste different? Pros pay attention to this. A creamy cheese might soften a wine’s acidity. A spicy nibble might make a bold red feel smoother or, conversely, hotter (due to alcohol). Feel free to experiment. Try a sip of wine, then a bite of food, then another sip. If something makes an awful combo – now you know! If something sings (like that truffle cheddar suddenly makes your Chardonnay shine), you just found a great pairing. You’re basically a sommelier now, congrats.

Bonus: Develop Your Own Wine Cheat-Sheet

If you want to keep honing your skills, consider keeping a tiny notebook or using a wine app to jot down the names of wines you liked and a quick note (“loved the fruity smell, went great with lamb slider”). This will help you remember your favourites for later – useful when you go to buy a bottle or order from Winedrops after the event. It’s what pros do to build their knowledge over time. But even if you don’t, simply paying a little more attention as you taste will, over time, train your palate.

Finally: enjoy yourself! The true secret of tasting wine like a pro is loving the experience. Professionals are passionate about wine – that’s why they do all this swirling and pondering. If you’re at a wine festival or tasting, soak in the atmosphere. Clink glasses with friends (eye contact, or seven years bad luck! 🍷😉), share your impressions (“I totally get cherry cola on this Pinot!”), and laugh. Whether you leave with a head full of tasting notes or just happy tastebuds and a full belly of snacks, you’ve done it right.

So next time you’re roaming a wine event, you’ll be swirling, sniffing, and sipping like you were born with a sommelier pin. Just maybe wipe that bit of cheese off your lip first – even pros can’t resist a good snack. Cheers!