How to taste wine — the 4-step method

Most people drink wine without ever really tasting it. The difference between "drinking" and "tasting" comes down to four steps, in the right order. Five minutes to learn them — and you'll never forget them.

Step 1 — Look (the colour)

Tilt your glass at 45° over a white surface (a tablecloth, a sheet of paper). Look for two things:

• Colour: a purplish red is young, a brick/orange-rimmed red has age. A pale, greenish white is young, a golden or amber white has evolved.
• Density: swirl the glass. "Legs" that run slowly down the glass point to a wine rich in alcohol or sugar. It says nothing about quality — just about style.

Step 2 — Nose (smell, twice)

This is the step with the most information, and the one everyone rushes.

1. First nose, glass still: the most volatile aromas (fresh fruit, flowers) come out immediately.
2. Second nose, after swirling: oxygenation releases deeper aromas (spice, oak, forest floor, cooked fruit).

Don't try to name a precise aroma right away. Just ask: fruity or not? fresh or cooked? floral, spiced, or oaky? Precise vocabulary comes with practice — Verso has a dedicated glossary if you want to go further.

Step 3 — Palate (actively taste)

Take a small sip and let it move around your mouth for 3 to 5 seconds before swallowing. During that time, assess four things in order:

• Attack: the very first instant on the palate — sweet, sour, or neutral?
• Acidity: is your mouth watering? The more it does, the more acidic the wine.
• Tannins (red wines only): that drying sensation on the inside of your cheeks. The stronger it is, the more tannic the wine.
• Body: does the wine feel light like water, or dense like whole milk? That's the weight sensation on the palate.

Step 4 — Finish (what's left after)

Swallow (or spit), and count the seconds the aromas linger. A 3-second finish is short, a 15-second-plus finish is long. Length on the palate is one of the best quality indicators — not the only one, but one of the most reliable.

The move that changes everything: the air slurp

Sommeliers "slurp" by drawing air through the wine in their mouth. It looks ridiculous the first time, but it oxygenates the wine directly on your tongue and multiplies the aromas you perceive. Try it once, alone, before you judge.

Key takeaways

• Look: colour + density tells you age and style
• Nose: two passes, before and after swirling
• Palate: attack → acidity → tannins → body, in that order
• Finish: count the seconds, it's a real quality signal

The only way to get better is to taste often and compare. Verso tracks your tastings so you can watch your palate evolve.

→ Try the blind tasting workshop on Verso to practice on a real glass.