10 tips to help you navigate a wine tasting
Ask lots of questions — all those pros on hand will be happy to educate you
There are a few major differences between successfully navigating a wine-tasting event and enjoying a bottle of wine while, say, watching The Bachelor.
Some of these include: an absence of yelling at the TV screen because of the latest Rose Ceremony results and zero embarrassment about the $11 bottle of wine you’re imbibing because there’s no onearoundtojudgeyou.
But, according to Jason Yamasaki, the group sommelier for the Joey Restaurant Group, there’s really nothing to fear when it comes to attending a wine event — even though he acknowledges it can be stressful to taste wine in the presence of professionals.
“It’s not something that people do every day. And certainly not with a lot of people around them,” Yamasaki explains about the intimidation factor of tasting. “People just don’t want to be embarrassed if they think they say the wrong thing.”
Yamasaki says small tells such as the way a person holds a glass, and whether or not they give the wine a sniff before sipping, can reveal a person’s experience level, but another way he sees people get tripped up is by not trusting their palate.
“You know the phrase, ‘You eat with your eyes first?’ This is a really useful phrase. Except, it doesn’t apply to wine because all wine kinda looks the same,” he says. “So, in order to say something about wine, you can’t trust your eyes. Rather, you have to know your palate. And to put what your palate is sensing into words is not an easy task. It’s a trained skill.”
Want to become a Sauvignon savant in a hurry? Yamasaki suggests asking questions before, during and after a wine-tasting event.
“Ask questions,” he says. “These winemakers and wine pros have spent their lives dedicated to this pursuit. Most of them love you for asking them questions! So, go and be curious. Be curious about everything. The grapes, the history, the vineyards, the food possibilities, their opinions. You’re almost guaranteed a good story.”
In addition to asking questions, Yamasaki offers the following wine-tasting tips to ensure you’re sipping vino like a pro:
1 Hold the glass by the stem — “not the bowl.”
2 Smell the wine. “Take some time with the aroma. This is probably the most key part about getting to know more about wine.”
3 Ask questions.
4 Try more than one wine. “Though there’s a temptation to go always for the most expensive wine, there are gems and discoveries to be had at all price ranges.”
5 Avoid white — clothing, that is. “It’s very risky to wear white things. There’s lots of red wine splashing about.”
6 Taste more white wine! “They ’re not just for patio-sipping and summertime quenching.”
7 Time-share taste. “If you think you can ‘start with whites,’ you will probably run out of time. So taste both white and reds at the same time. It’s a great exercise for your palate to be able to go between the two. It also gives you a real chance to know the style of the winery.”
8 Talk temp. While each wine is different, it means that reds should have a little briskness to show their best. A few degrees cooler than room temp is really ideal for the best expression of red wines. You may find that some tables have their reds with a bit of a chill. This can really improve the texture, the balance and the overall deliciousness. Try it at home! Put a bottle of red in the fridge for 20 minutes before you taste it. Or, better yet, pour one glass at room temp, and then put the bottle in the fridge so you can taste the difference for yourself.
9 Know your limits or spit. “You’d rather not know what you look like stumbling out of the tasting room.”
10 Have fun!