Beginner’s Guide to Tasting Wine by Hana-Lee Sedgwick
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egardless of your level of wine expertise—beginner, enthusiast or expert—one of the best ways to appreciate wine is to know how to properly taste it. Sounds simple enough, right? For many people, especially to more novice drinkers, the art of tasting may be a bit confusing and/or intimidating, which is understandable. The good news is, there aren’t strict tasting “rules” you need to follow, but rather a few simple steps that will help you to better understand and enjoy what’s in your glass. After all, wine tasting can and should be a fun and pleasurable experience, so let’s dive in!
40 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA SPRING 2019
HOW TO TASTE WINE Essentially, wine tasting can be broken down into four easy “S” steps: see, swirl, smell and sip. Each step helps to fully take in all of the special nuances of a wine by focusing your attention on each individual component—from the way it looks to the way it tastes. No, you don’t need extra taste buds to be a good wine taster. All you need is a consistent tasting technique to practice, because just like learning to ski or play an instrument, practice makes perfect.
