How to Taste Wine for Evaluation
CMS Deductive Tasting Grid
For a wine professional, a seasoned palate is essential and involves practice tasting wine. An even more specific area of study is tasting wine for evaluation. Compared to tasting wine for enjoyment; a critical tasting can help to improve one’s palate by calibrating it to a specific standard or typicity, using a comparative tasting method.
A comparative tasting of 3 Crus of Beaujolais
Generally, wine professionals and wine aficionados use given criteria to optimize comparative wine tasting for evaluation. While a certain art is afforded to taste wine merely for appreciation, optimal enjoyment of wine uses a combination of art and technique. Specific wine tasting approaches have been outlined by varying schools of thought, my classical training is with The Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET), using the “ Systematic Approach to Tasting” and with The Court of Master Sommeliers (CMS), using “Deductive Tasting Method”. Each school provides very specific instructions on how to approach wine tasting for evaluation. While both encourage students to objectively evaluate wine, the CMS “Deductive Tasting Method” places importance on actually deducing the wine during a blind tasting examination. In contrast, The WSET “Systematic Approach to Tasting” (SAT) recognizes that each individual will have their own unique sensitivities to flavors, acids, and sugar. Thus, success in the WSET program means a student will have to calibrate their palate against those of their educators and peers given a unilaterally accepted lexicon for which to utilize. The objective being unilaterally accepted verbiage for articulating what we taste in the glass in order to then make assessments on quality or readiness for drinking as well as decisions on aging or serving or pairing that all can understand.
The resources provided below by both CMS and WSET can be used as framework to help one evaluate wine based on appearance, aroma, and structure in an effective manner. By following either method, one can begin to conceptualize wine and ultimately describe the wine to others. In general, both methods can be used to formulate a technical evaluation of a particular wine. Using either practice as a structure for wine tasting can serve as a base to then evaluate wines of the same style, variety, or region, comparatively. I find it most helpful to choose two wines of the same variety, vintage, and country, and identify how they are different or similar. For example, I might taste a Mersault next to a Chablis, both French Chardonnay, from different appellations in Burgundy in order to identify differences in acidity level, fruit character, and ripeness depending on the producer and other factors.
No matter which method you use for tasting wine, it is important to prepare for any evaluative tasting by creating an optimal tasting environment as well as your palate. This means that your environment as well as your palate have been prepped for tasting wine in its purity. For a step-by-step guide on how to prepare for a tasting read ahead!
Download the CMS Tasting Grid—> Here
Download the WSET Tasting SAT—> Here
Steps to Prep for a Tasting Evaluation
Preparing Yourself :
Hydrate- Several hours before tasting wine it is important to drink water. Once a tasting has begun, I recommend sipping water between wine samples. Dehydration a common while tasting as spitting wine will cause the mouth to become dry as it loses saliva. Water will moisturize your body as well as your palate and help to cleanse your palate between samples.
Start with a Cleansed Palate- When preparing for tasting you want to begin with a “clean” palate. Avoid eating any foods with lingering flavors ( Unless the goal is to taste wine for a pairing (see: Wine Pairing Basics and Diversify Your Pair). Cross Contamination of flavor can alter ones perception of the wine’s specific flavor and aroma or overpower it all-together.
Preparing your Space
Free Your Space of Distraction- Your space should be well lit with the Make sure your space is free and clear of distracting odors. Choose a place that is devoid of sensory influencers such as wind or loud music or changing lighting.
Lighting- Make sure you have adequate lighting and a clean surface with at least one white sheet of paper or white wall to use as a backdrop for your wine.
Tools at the ready- At the table, you should have a white sheet of paper to use as a background when assessing color. A glass of water and a spitoon for spitting are always a good idea. In terms of notetaking, it will be handy to keep a pen, pencil, paper, phone or notebook devise at the ready to jot down any notes you may have.
