The fundamentals (1) : the art of tasting

For many people, wine tasting seems complicated and inaccessible. I invite you to join me every month to familiarize yourself with the method and language necessary to enable you to put words on sensations and so open up the fabulous world of aromas and flavours.

Progressively, you will master the vocabulary used by professionals and be more at ease with the often difficult exercise of tasting.

The vocabulary is simple, but, before starting this passionate adventure I think it is necessary to denounce a certain number of preconceived ideas concerning wine tasting.

1. Wine Tasting is not a science. It is based on very subjective sensations and has nothing in common with a scientific exercise. This is what makes it so interesting. The mistakes made by the most experienced tasters are quite revealing. I have often seen wine makers unable to recognise their own wine when put in a blind tasting with other wines, or, well-known wine- waiters who identify a wine from the Loire Valley as a wine from Spain. A good taster doesn’t ‘perform’, he listens to his senses and isn’t afraid to make a mistake.

2. The aim is not to identify what is in the glass but to say if it is a quality wine or simply if we like it or not. Unfortunately, a large number of wine-tasters think that the ability to name the wine in the glass is absolutely necessary to be recognised by his peers. We must not forget that at present a list of over 3,000 grape varieties has been compiled. Taking into consideration the number of winemakers, vintages, appellations and possible blending of wines, we have several hundreds of thousands different wines to taste.

 

Who can honestly say that they are capable of recognising them all? We recognise what we already know, so, let us be modest.

3. If wine tasting is often seen as an exercise of style and vocabulary, it is not necessarily the person who uses the most words or talks the most who is the best taster.

So, what is wine-tasting about?

It must not be confused with sensorial analysis which is often used as a synonym. Tasting is simply the attention we give to the food and drink we absorb. So, anyone who is attentive to what he eats and drinks is a taster.
In what manner you may ask, can we be attentive to what is on our plate or in our glass?
By becoming aware of our senses. tasting is without a doubt the most sensual exercise there is.

Can a person learn to taste?

Although we taste most things from our earliest childhood, we have difficulty putting words to the sensations we perceive. I would like to offer a progressive and methodical approach to help you acquire the tools that will enable you to speak more easily of the things you appreciate. Each month we’ll look at an aspect of tasting and gradually build up a vocabulary.
Next month we’ll define what taste is.