When it comes to wine tasting, beginners can be easily intimidated. It’s hardly surprising why! On the surface, there are plenty of factors that seem overwhelming. If you’re more of a casual wine drinker, you may come to a tasting event with more confusion than confidence.

How do you know what kind of wine you like? How do you know if the wine is good quality? What should you do first when tasting a flight of wine?

We get these questions at our restaurant, Ishilima, during our Thursday wine tastings. I often briefly go over how to get the best possible experience, but quite frankly, there is a science to it!

You, too, can taste wine like a pro. Let’s break it down step by step.

Step 1: You will be presented with a wine flight, which is essentially a selection of wines being presented in a row.  

Step 2: Be sure you aren’t wearing any strong fragrances! At the restaurant, we always refrain from heavy perfumes or aftershaves to avoid any interference with the aromas of the wine.  

Step 3: Always start from the left, working toward the right. Wine flights are normally presented from light-bodied to full-bodied wines, or white to red. It is a gradual approach to that final wine.  

Step 4: Why are wine experts so vocal about their wine drinking? You may notice that some wine experts may slurp the wine. Well, slurping the wine allows for some oxygen and aerates the wine to soften up the hard edges of a wine.

Step 5: Why do wine tasters spit out the wine? (Gross.) This is actually the one time you are allowed to spit! Why? The answer is pretty straightforward: because we don’t want to get drunk. Sommeliers often taste a good amount of wine throughout the day. (I know, it’s a tough job, but we must do it!) We often use a spitoon to discreetly spit out the wines we taste. That way, we avoid misbehaving in the restaurant... or, in my case, avoid acting like Amy Mitchell from Bad Moms in the dining room at Ishilima.

Step 6: Before you reach over to taste a big gulp of that wine… stop! Pause to observe its color. This can tell you if there is some age to it, whether the wine has an oak influence, or the alcohol level.  

Step 7: Smell the wine. What makes this fun is how individualized each person’s unique experience is. What comes to mind instantly? If you’re not sure how to describe what you’re smelling, keep in mind that most of the aroma descriptors of wine come from our memory bank. If you recall taking a stroll through your local farmers market, you might come up with some floral or fruit-based adjectives. This helps bring an overall vocabulary to describe the wines.

Step 8:  To swirl or not swirl? That is the question! A slight swirl agitates the esters in the wine, bringing out its unique notes. Swirl too hard, and you might get all of the complex aromas out of the glass completely.

Step 9: Finally, we get to taste! Not just a little to coat the tip of your tongue-- take a nice, full taste that will cover your palate. If you want to slurp or aerate, go ahead! Breathe in and out; get your nasal passages to come together with your palate.

Step 10: Taste with food! See how the wines change as you enjoy different dishes. Did I mention that wine flights are much more enjoyable with good company? This is great to do as a girls’ night out, or at home with some friends.  

Step 11: Enjoy and repeat! When it comes to becoming a wine taster, it’s best to enjoy the wines first and foremost. Decipher what you like about the wines and take notes. If you don’t like a particular wine, ask the sommelier why. Tell them what you don’t like about the wine. It doesn’t necessarily mean the wine is “off” (bad), but it can tell you more about what style you gravitate to. Remember: sometimes a certain grape varietal may be off-putting from a particular region, or style of winemaking. Never disregard it completely if it's your first experience. The art of tasting wine is all about try, try again!

Want to learn more about wine tasting and get the full experience? Come join me for our next Wine 101 Class this November 7t, only at Ishilima in Pembroke Pines!