Tasting: pay attention – get in the zone – eliminate distractions

Almost everyone I speak to about tasting says this and says it in a different way. It’s simple advice, but worth taking seriously.

‘ If you really want to do a wine justice, take a deep breath, get your mind focused then relaxed, and engage the senses and your brain,’ says Steve Smith MW, co- owner of Pyramid Valley Vineyards in New Zealand.

‘ I know this works because I don’t have a great natural palate, but when I get my brain focused and relaxed, it’s pretty sharp.’

Frédéric Panaiotis, chef de cave at Champagne Ruinart, says he wishes people would ‘ taste Champagne sitting down’, which is confusing until he elucidates: ‘Or just be in an environment where they take the time. A lot of Champagne is consumed standing up, talking.’

It’s an important point. Distractions of all kinds are bad news, impairing the ability to absorb information from the wine in the glass. That’s why Sally Easton MW wears noise- cancelling headphones at large tastings. And it’s why producers shouldn’t talk to tasters who are trying to assess a wine. As the late Steven Spurrier, former consultant editor for

Decanter, noted: ‘ The key is to pay attention.’