Wine tasting is an art to many. We note the color of our wine; its hue and clarity, we swish our wine to see how it handles the sides of the glass, we smell our wine in order to take in its bouquet, and we taste a simple amount in order to test its sweetness and/or acidity. We then rank it where it will fit in our lives as a good wine or a not so good wine. If we love this wine, we begin looking at the types of foods we might want to pair it with.
If you are just starting out on the road to wine tasting and you desire to take notes so that you can eventually go back to that one wine that blew you away, know where it came from, who made it, and what it was like to look at it, smell it, and taste it, look no further. Wine tasting notes incorporate all of these key aspects of the wine and they are very easy to take and keep.
Gather together a small journal and a pen and jot down these key points that need to be noted in every wine tasting experience. Once these points are in your journal, you can reference them each time you wine taste so that you can keep an accurate account of each wine.
First, always jot down the date of your tasting. Then, write all of the wines specifications; the name of the wine, the name of the winery in which you are tasting it in, whom produced the wine (if it was not the winery), where the wine comes from (region), what grape varieties are in the wine (merlot, etc.), and the year the grapes were grown for this wine (the vintage).
After the date and wine information have been entered, begin observing the wine. What is the color and appearance of the wine? Is it a red or a white? If red, what depth of red? Is it a bright red, a deep red, a burgundy, or magenta? Is it clear?
Next, swish the wine around in the glass and smell the wine. What is the bouquet like? Does it smell of flowers, fruits, or both?
Forth, taste the wine. Is it sweet, tart, tangy, acidic? What does it feel like in your mouth? Is it smooth or crisp? How do all the flavors balance one another? Is there a little sweet fruity taste in the beginning and then it finishes with a crisp tannin aftertaste?
Fifth, form your personal conclusions. Were you impressed? Did you enjoy the wine or was it one you did not care much for? Could you see it being wonderful alongside a platter of cheese and crackers or does it best suit a plate of spaghetti?
Lastly, rate the wine. Give it a score based on your experience with it. Would you taste it again? Would you buy a bottle of it for a dish of fish you will be preparing this evening?
That is all that there is to it. Wine tasting notes are rather simple to prepare and keeping them in a small journal allows you to pull them out any time you wish to make a new note or find a wine from a month ago that you are just dying to have a friend try.
Now, let us put them to work. Here is a list of five wines I adore and each of their wine tasting notes…
Tasting Date: December 9, 2008
Wine information:
Name: Malbec
Producer: Cougar Winery
Region: California
Grape Varieties: Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon & Cabernet Franc
Vintage: 2007
Color and Appearance: dark red and clear
Nose: fruity with a hint of citrus.
Mouth: acidic at first but sweet and smooth going down. It finishes with a relaxed fruit aftertaste.
Conclusion: Wonderful wine. Would go well with a steak dinner or a platter of exotic cheeses.
Rating: 10/10
Tasting Date: December 9, 2008
Wine information:
Name: Chocolate Port
Producer: Wilson Creek Winery
Region: California
Color and Appearance: dark red
Nose: fruity, mostly cherry with a hint of chocolate
Mouth: sweet, rich, and smooth all the way through
Conclusion: Wonderful wine. Would go well with a platter of cheeses or any dessert.
Rating: 10/10
Tasting Date: January 10, 2009
Wine information:
Name: Almond Champaign
Producer: Wilson Creek Winery
Region: California:
Color and Appearance: white, sparkling
Nose: flowery
Mouth: sweet and smooth, crisp aftertaste
Conclusion: Wonderful Champaign. Would go well with a platter of cheese or a dessert.
Rating: 10/10
Tasting Date: February 14, 2009
Wine information:
Name: Sangiovese
Producer: Oak Mountain Winery
Region: California
Color and Appearance: dark red
Nose: bouquet of flowers and fruits.
Mouth: sweet and tart, tannins are soft and touch the tongue kindly, finishes smooth.
Conclusion: Wonderful wine. Would go well with any steak or beef meal, as well as any pork dish.
Rating: 10/10
Tasting Date: February 14, 2009
Wine information:
Name: Cabernet Sauvignon
Producer: Leonesse Cellars
Region: California
Grape Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon
Color and Appearance: dark red
Nose: eucalyptus, flowery
Mouth: intense, balanced, soft tannins, cloves, a hint of vanilla, smooth finish
Conclusion: Fantastic wine. Would go well with any fish dish.
Rating: 9/10
Now, prepare your journals and get started with taking your wine tasting notes.
