Wine Tasting Expert Tips

Let me share a little secret: most wine experts aren't born with supernatural tasting abilities. While natural sensitivity varies from person to person, the impressive tasting skills of sommeliers and wine professionals come primarily from practice, technique, and knowledge—all things that anyone can learn. Over my years conducting wine tastings across Italy, I've noticed that many visitors feel intimidated by the seemingly complex rituals and vocabulary of wine appreciation. They worry about holding the glass incorrectly or saying something that might reveal their inexperience. Today, I'm pulling back the curtain on some of the techniques that professionals use—approaches that aren't complicated but can dramatically enhance your wine tasting experience. Master these five simple strategies, and you'll approach your next wine tasting with the confidence and sensory awareness of a seasoned pro. ## 1. Calibrate Your Nose Before Tasting Have you ever noticed how sommeliers sometimes seem to detect aromas that you can't? Here's their secret: they mentally prepare their olfactory senses before beginning a tasting session. Try this professional technique: before your next wine tasting, spend 5-10 minutes actively smelling common items in your kitchen—fresh and dried herbs, fruits, spices, honey, vanilla, coffee grounds. This simple exercise wakes up your olfactory memory and makes it much easier to identify those same notes in wines. During my tastings, I sometimes bring a small kit of aroma samples. When participants smell actual fresh blackberries before tasting a Sangiovese with blackberry notes, their ability to detect that aroma increases dramatically. You can create a simple version of this at home to train your nose regularly.