The WSET systematic approach to tasting describes aspects of a wine in the order we encounter them:
First look, for example:
Does the wine look light or dark. How would you describe the appearance?
Then smell, for example:
Does the wine smell floral or fruity. How would you describe the aroma?
Lastly taste, for example:
Does the wine taste sweet or sour. How would you describe the flavour?
Finally, we use these impressions to draw conclusions about the wine.
Now I’ll explain a little more about each step
The appearance of a wine can actually warn us of faults. Some out- of- condition wines can be dull in appearance. Is the wine white, rosé or red? Would you say the intensity of the wine is pale, medium or deep? Be aware that no definitive conclusions can be reached. Welcome to the wonderful world of wine!
The aromas of a wine can also warn us of faults. The most common fault that can be discovered is the cork taint which adds a pungent and unpleasant musty smell to the wine. Swirling the wine in the glass releases as many aromas as possible.
Aromas can be divided in three main categories:
Primary Aromas, are defined by the grape variety and are associated with fruit and flowers.
Secondary Aromas, are acquired from the winemaking techniques, whether it is malolactic fermentation or fermentation/ maturation in oak. They give the wine notes of butter, cream, or spice, like vanilla, cinnamon, clove and black pepper.
Tertiary Aromas, come from the bottle ageing process and are associated with savoury smells of maturity like leather, tobacco, mushrooms, petrol and wet leaves.
To get more information from a glass of wine, the wine must be swirled around the mouth and every part of the mouth must be exposed to the wine. Drawing air in through the lips helps aroma components in the wine evaporate off the tongue and rise up the back of the nose.
Different parts of the mouth have different levels of sensitivity to the components in a wine like sweetness, acidity and tannins. The tongue can be used to detect:
Sweetness, is detected on the tip of the tongue and indicates of how much sugar a wine contains.
Acidity, is strongly detected by the sides of the tongue and causes the mouth to water, making the wine taste refreshing.
Tannins, are most strongly felt at the back of the tongue and on the gums, making wines taste bitter and astringent.
Of course personal taste matters. Do you like the wine? Why? Why not?
Another area experts focus on is BLIC (balance, length, intensity, complexity). Steady as we go, we’ll investigate BLIC a little later.
