Learn How to Taste, Serve, and Pair Wines with Confidence

Appreciating wine is much like admiring a fine work of art. It has little to do with trends or popular preferences and everything to do with personal taste, emotion, and connection. Each bottle offers a unique expression of time, place, and craftsmanship, waiting to be experienced through your own senses. There is no need to memorize obscure terminology or chase the latest vintages to enjoy wine meaningfully. With just a few key insights and a willingness to explore, anyone can begin the journey toward becoming an oenophile (ee-nuh-file)—a person who finds joy in the nuances, character, and quiet pleasures that wine has to offer.

Serving Wine

Present Bottle

Display the bottle with its label facing the guest who ordered it, allowing them to verify the winery name and vintage to ensure the correct selection has been brought to the table.

Open Bottle

Using a curved knife or a waiter's friend (a foldable corkscrew with a built-in knife), carefully remove the foil capsule from the bottle's top. Insert the corkscrew into the cork, twist steadily, and extract the cork with minimal noise or disruption. Take care to avoid spilling or allowing cork debris to enter the wine. If the bottle will be re-corked, turn the cork upside down for easier reinsertion. On occasion, the cork is presented for inspection, with a moist cork indicating the wine was properly stored on its side. A dry cork, often resulting from upright storage, may have allowed oxygen into the bottle and compromised the wine.

Pour Sample

Despite advancements in cork technology, some bottles may still be 'corked.' This does not mean cork particles are present, but rather that the wine has been tainted by a natural mold found in cork bark. This can produce off-notes reminiscent of wet paper, moldy fruit, or even damp cardboard. The purpose of offering a sample is to allow for sensory evaluation to determine if the wine has been affected.

Pour Wine

Hold the bottle near the base with your thumb inside the punt (the indentation on the bottom). Pour clockwise around the table, serving over the guest's right shoulder. Each glass should be filled only halfway to allow room for swirling and releasing aromas. Refill as needed, and twist the bottle slightly at the end of each pour to prevent dripping.

Tasting Wine

See

Hold the glass by its stem to maintain proper temperature and allow for an unobstructed view of the wine's clarity and color. A clear, vibrant wine is generally a sign of quality and proper handling.

Swirl

Gently swirl the wine in your glass to aerate it, which helps release its aromas. You may notice 'legs' or 'tears' on the inside of the glass—these viscous streaks indicate alcohol content, particularly in wines above 12% alcohol.

Sniff

Bring the glass close and inhale deeply. The narrow opening of a wine glass concentrates the aromas, allowing you to detect the wine's bouquet or single-note nose. This step offers insight into the wine's complexity and character.

Sip

Take a small sip to check for flaws such as cork taint. If the wine tastes unusually tart, try licking salt and citrus (such as lemon or lime) to reset your palate, which may help the wine's fruity notes emerge more clearly. A similar effect can be achieved by pairing the wine with complementary foods.

Slurp

Draw a small amount of air through your lips while the wine is in your mouth, allowing oxygen to enhance its flavor. Though the sound may be slightly unorthodox, this technique helps reveal subtle nuances in the wine's profile. Just be sure to control the flow to avoid spills.

Swish

Move the wine around in your mouth to engage all areas of your palate. Taste sensitivity varies between individuals, especially regarding bitterness, so personal preferences will influence perception. Ultimately, the best wines are those that you enjoy most.

Swallow or Spit

At formal tastings or events where moderation is expected, it is perfectly acceptable to spit the wine into a provided receptacle. Otherwise, swallow and note the 'finish,' or lingering aftertaste. Assess whether the wine is dry or sweet, tannic (producing a drying sensation), astringent, or full-bodied in alcohol content.

Aromas and Flavors of Wine

While the tongue identifies just four fundamental tastes—sweet, sour, salty, and bitter—the majority of flavor perception comes from the nose. As a result, wine may evoke memories or associations such as green apples, fresh herbs, or spices. These impressions are captured through a rich vocabulary of tasting descriptors, including notes of black cherry, chocolate, cut grass, citrus zest, tropical fruit, honeysuckle, black pepper, or even tobacco. These are not ingredients in the wine but rather sensory echoes of its aromatic and flavor components.

Types of Wine

The wide variety of wine types can seem overwhelming at first, but understanding one key distinction simplifies matters: European wines are typically named after their place of origin, while American wines are generally labeled by grape variety. For example, a white wine called Vouvray comes from the town of Vouvray in France's Loire Valley and is made from the Chenin Blanc grape. The same varietal produced in the United States would simply be labeled Chenin Blanc. Similarly, sparkling wine produced in France's Champagne region earns the title 'Champagne,' while the same style made elsewhere is called sparkling wine. French regional names such as Bordeaux, Burgundy, Beaujolais, and Chablis refer to specific wine-producing areas. In contrast, American wines—primarily from California, Oregon, New York, Texas, and Washington—are often named after the grape, such as Merlot, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, or Cabernet Sauvignon.

Common Wines

• SPARKLING | Served chilled.

  Sparkling wine and Champagne /sham-pain/

  A light, carbonated, aperitif wine (an alcoholic drink used to stimulate the appetite.)

• WHITES | Served chilled.

  Riesling /rees-ling/

  A very light, sweet, (almost apple-juice-ish) German white wine that is low in alcohol. An easy introduction to wine.

  Gewurztraminer /guh-vertz-tra-mee-ner/

  A very fragrant, aromatic, full-body white wine.

  Chenin Blanc /shen-in blahnk/

  A floral, but often quite acidic white wine.

  Pinot Grigio /pee-no gree-zhee-oh/

  A very crisp white wine.

  Sauvignon Blanc /sah-ven-yawn blahnk/

  A tart, highly acidic white wine that is low in fruitiness.

  Chardonnay /shar-doh-nay/

  A dry (non-sweet) wine which is the most popular wine in the world.

• BLUSH | Serve chilled.

  White Zinfandel /zin-fuhn-del/

  A mild, sweet, pink-colored wine that is low in alcohol, making it popular with those who drink wine infrequently.

• REDS | Serve cool, but not chilled.

  Merlot /mair-lo/

  A medium intensity red wine with herbal and fruity flavors.

  Pinot Noir /pee-no nwar/

  A uniquely rich, velvety, fruity red wine that accompanies a wide variety of foods.

  Cabernet Sauvignon /cab-ur-nay sah-veen-yong/

  A somewhat stout, complex, and full-bodied red wine.

  Syrah/Shiraz /see-rah/ /sheh-raz/

  A very stout, highly aromatic, full-bodied red wine known as Shiraz in Australia and often in the US.

• PORT | Serve cool, but not chilled.

  Port

  A sweet, red dessert wine fortified with spirits to boost alcohol content.

Purchasing Wine

Be encouraged to ask for assistance when making a purchase in a wine shop. If you're not sure what to buy, just say so—wine specialists tend to be extremely friendly and knowledgeable, and they are a great resource for learning and saving money. You may also purchase tasting flights at many wine lounges. A tasting flight is a selection of small portions of a variety of wines for the purpose of sampling and comparing. Many wine shops also occasionally offer free tastings as well as instructional classes and seminars.

Ultimately, wine should enhance your life, not complicate it. Rather than trying to conform to the world of wine, allow wine to adapt to your world—your preferences, your pace, your pleasures. Whether shared with friends or sipped in quiet moments, the best wines are the ones that bring you genuine enjoyment. Let personal taste guide the journey, because in the end, the right wine is simply the one you love most.