Discover the art of wine tasting
Before you savour your wines, take a moment to watch our introductory wine-tasting video. In just a few minutes, you’ll learn to recognise the aromas, flavours and secrets of wine. A wonderful way to enrich your tasting experience and enjoy it to the fullest!
Introduction to wine tasting in 4 minutes
How do you fill in your tasting sheet?
Suivez les étapes du guide pour remplir vos quatre fiches de dégustation. Commencez bien par les vins les plus légers et terminez par les plus puissants. Vous pouvez vous référer à notre guide de la dégustation parfaite pour de plus amples détails.
Une fois votre fiche complétée, flashez le QR code sur le dépliant de présentation pour accéder à la correction détaillée de chaque fiche. Comptez vos points en fonction des résultats et vous obtiendrez votre note !
Use this guide to fill in your tasting sheet
Click below to download your printable tasting sheets
Discover your score by scanning the QR code on the back of the booklet in your box!
Each box contains a card with a QR code to scan
The wine’s identity card
Before diving into the fascinating world of wine tasting, let’s explore the key elements that make up a wine’s identity card and help us better appreciate and understand its origin and characteristics.
Here are the essential terms to know if you want to become a true connoisseur!
The set of attributes that give a wine its unique identity. These generally include the name of the estate, the region, the grape variety, the appellation (and cru, if applicable), the vintage and sometimes the cuvée, or even a particular feature of the harvest or winemaking process.
Example: an Alsace Grand Cru Eichberg late-harvest Riesling is identified by its region, which places it geographically (Alsace); its appellation, which attests to its quality (Grand Cru Eichberg); the particular harvest method, which points to certain qualities of the wine (late harvest); and its grape variety, which suggests the type of wine (Riesling).
The name of the wine estate where the wine is produced.
Example: Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (or DRC) is one of the most prestigious estates in France and the world.
A designation that guarantees the wine’s origin and quality, notably through a protected set of production rules.
Example: the Bordeaux AOC indicates that the wine comes from the Bordeaux region and complies with its production rules.
The geographical area where the grapes are grown and the wine is produced.
A terroir is a specific area where cultural factors (know-how and techniques) combine with natural factors (climate, exposure, soils…) to give a wine its distinctive characteristics.
Bear in mind that a wine region does not necessarily correspond to an administrative region.
Example: Burgundy, Bordeaux and Alsace are among France’s most iconic wine regions.
The grape variety used to produce the wine. There are 210 different varieties in France, but 10 of them account for 70% of French production.
A wine may be made from a single grape variety, known as a single-varietal wine, or from a mixture of several varieties, known as a blend.
Example: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc are the emblematic grape varieties of Bordeaux reds.
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are the emblematic varieties of Burgundy wines (reds and whites respectively).
The year in which the grapes were harvested.
Example: a wine with a "2015" vintage was made from grapes harvested in 2015. This can give you an idea of the wine’s quality, as weather conditions make some years better for growing grapes than others.
How can you estimate a wine’s age from its colour?
See also the Wine colour section.
Red wine:
The more vivid red or even purplish a red wine appears, the younger and less mature it is. Its tannins may then be very intense, sometimes astringent, and lack the subtlety that comes with maturity.
Conversely, the more its colour tends towards brownish or brick red, the older the wine. If it has aged well, its tannins will be more powerful but not astringent, filling the mouth and revealing subtle, complex flavours.
White wine:
The paler a white wine is, sometimes almost transparent with green highlights, the younger, livelier and fresher it is.
Conversely, the more its colour tends towards amber and then gold, the older the wine, with notes of dried fruit, honey and wax coming to the fore.
What is a non-vintage wine?
A non-vintage wine is not associated with a specific harvest year. It is often made by blending wines from different years to maintain a consistent taste and quality.
- A bright red wine with a slight purple tinge is young;
- A cherry-red wine is still developing. It can be drunk, but has not yet reached full maturity;
- A red wine with attractive orange tints is ready to drink. If it is intended for ageing, this colour indicates that it is beginning to develop;
- A brick-red or brown red wine is old and should be drunk soon.
- A pale wine, almost transparent, is very young;
- A yellow wine with attractive green highlights has not yet begun to develop;
- A straw-yellow wine has reached maturity;
- A golden-yellow wine with copper highlights may be a well-developed dry wine or a mature sweet wine;
- A brownish-yellow wine is oxidised.
Appearance
The first stage of tasting is visual: observe the wine’s appearance to pick up the first visual clues.
1. Dry your tasting glasses thoroughly to avoid water marks and ensure the glass is perfectly clear.
2. Settle into a well-lit room with plenty of natural light.
3. Get a plain white cloth.
4. Tilt your glass over the cloth and gently swirl it for the best view of the wine’s appearance.
A wine’s appearance refers to its visual characteristics, particularly its colour. This naturally varies according to the type of wine, but also the grape varieties, terroirs and climates. A keen observer can therefore infer things about a wine’s geographical origin and quality before even tasting it!
Better still, a wine’s colour changes over time, so a keen eye can estimate its age from variations in its appearance.
Putting it into practice:
Red wines
- bright red with a slight purple tinge: the wine is young.
- cherry red: the wine is still developing. It has not yet reached maturity but can be drunk.
- red with orange tints: the wine is ready to drink; if it is intended for ageing, it is beginning to develop.
- brownish to brick red: it is time to drink it.
White wines
- pale yellow, almost transparent: the wine is very young.
- yellow with slight green highlights: the wine has not yet developed.
- straw yellow: the wine has reached a good level of maturity.
- coppery golden yellow: if it is a dry wine, it is well developed. If it is a sweet wine, it has reached maturity.
- brownish yellow: the wine is oxidised.
Rosé wines
- pale pink, almost colourless: the wine was made by pressing the grapes.
- salmon pink: the wine is fruity and young, and ready to drink.
- orange-pink: the wine is ageing.
The intensity or clarity of a wine’s appearance reveals its condition and therefore its ageing potential.
Putting it into practice:
- The wine’s brilliance. It may be luminous, fresh, bright, sparkling, dull, faded or oxidised, revealing its level of acidity (a very bright sheen is often a sign of pronounced acidity, especially in white wine).
- The wine’s clarity. It may be clear, bright, transparent, opaque, dirty, cloudy or hazy. But beware! A cloudy appearance does not necessarily mean a fault. The producer may simply prefer not to filter the wine.
- The wine’s colour intensity. It may be pale, pronounced, dark, velvety, strong, dense, insufficient, poor or weak. A wine’s colour intensity offers valuable clues to its origin (particularly its grape varieties) and vintage.
- The wine’s sheen. It may be crystalline, brilliant, radiant, matte, dull or faded, which also gives an indication of its acidity.
The Nose
Après avoir observé, il est temps de sentir. Beaucoup de qualités du vin se révèlent au nez du fait de l'étendue de la palette aromatique perçue par l'homme.
1. Portez le verre à votre nez sans le remuer pour sentir le premier nez. C'est l'occasion de sentir les principaux arômes, les plus volatils qui vont vite s'échapper du verre et disparaître.
2. Remuez le verre en cercles concentriques pour oxygéner le vin et ainsi révéler les arômes moins volatils, encore fermés.
3. Portez à nouveau le verre à votre nez : c'est le deuxième nez. Prenez votre temps pour humer et faites appel à votre mémoire olfactive. C'est un travail difficile au début.
Now, let’s explore the different categories of aromas you may encounter during your tastings. These aromas, as varied as they are surprising, offer clues to appreciating and understanding the subtleties of each wine.
Join us on this journey through the world of aromas to enrich your tasting experience!
Floral aromas evoke flowers or fragrant notes.
Example: A wine with aromas of rose or violet.
Vegetal aromas evoke plants, herbs or vegetables.
Example: A wine with notes of freshly cut grass or green pepper.
Fruity aromas evoke fruit, whether fresh, cooked or dried.
Example: A wine with aromas of cherry, apple or dried fruit such as fig.
Spicy aromas evoke spices and seasonings.
Example: A wine with notes of black pepper, cinnamon or clove.
Mineral aromas refer to smells associated with earth, stone or sand.
Example: A wine with notes of gunflint or flint.
A woody aroma is a smell reminiscent of wood, often oak because the wine has been aged in oak barrels.
These woody notes may take on roasted qualities, evoking coffee, chocolate or even toast! These are known as empyreumatic aromas.
Example: A wine with notes of oak, toast or dark chocolate.
Animal aromas evoke smells associated with animals or animal products.
Example: A wine with notes of leather, smoked meat or musk.
Chemical aromas are unpleasant or undesirable smells that may indicate a problem with the wine. The wine is then said to be faulty.
Example: A wine with notes of vinegar, contaminated cork (cork taint) or sulphur.
The Palate
At last, it’s time to taste! The final stage of tasting lets you identify the wine’s flavours and texture, appreciate its aromas from another angle and assess its structure (tannins, body and length).
1. Take a small sip and move it around your mouth. Let the wine coat your whole mouth so all your taste buds can get to work.
2. Focus on the very first sensations, which make up the attack. Sweetness and effervescence are generally the first characteristics you notice (if the wine is sweet or sparkling).
3. Keep the wine in your mouth to appreciate its structure and flavours as they develop. Take time to work the wine around your mouth, pressing your tongue against your palate to get a sense of its body.
4. Draw a little air over the wine to perceive its aromas through retronasal olfaction. The combination of tastes and aromas creates the wine’s overall flavour, which can also develop.
5. Swallow or spit out the wine, then focus on how long its aromas linger in your mouth: this is the finish.
A wine’s body refers to its sense of weight and richness in the mouth. We also talk about its volume, backbone or structure. In short, how does the wine fill your mouth, how does it feel, and what is its texture?
A wine’s body is shaped by its acidity, its richness (alcohol and sweetness), its tannins (for reds) and/or its sweetness (for medium-sweet whites).
The wine may be:
0: weak
1: light
2: supple or round
3: structured (balanced)
4: robust
5: powerful
6: full-bodied
Tannins are compounds found in red wines that create a sensation of astringency (a tightening of the mucous membranes) and dryness in the mouth.
They are perceived through touch rather than taste: reactions with saliva cause them to change as you taste, so keep the wine in your mouth and move it around for at least eight seconds!
Tannins are assessed by their intensity (from soft to hard) and their quality (from fine to coarse). To appreciate them, taste the wine and notice how it feels on your tongue and gums.
Some grape varieties are known for their very light tannins (such as Cinsault or Pinot Noir), while others are known for their harshness (such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec).
The tannins may be:
0: absent (whites and rosés)
1: smooth
2: mellow
3: silky (balanced)
4: firm
5: heavy
6: astringent
A wine’s sugar level (or sweetness) is determined by the amount of sugar originally present in the grapes and any sugar that may be added or produced during winemaking. Its effect on the palate is the same as with any food: you experience a more or less pronounced sensation of sweetness.
Sweetness is the first taste you notice in the mouth. It should fade as you taste the wine. Together with alcohol, it determines the wine’s richness (in dry whites and reds): alcohol makes sweetness more noticeable, and vice versa. Together, they form a shared structure.
For medium-sweet white wines, sweetness is assessed separately because sugar plays such an important role in these wines.
A wine can be dry (little sugar), medium-dry, medium-sweet or sweet (a lot of sugar). Taste the wine and assess the sensation of sweetness on your palate.
The wine may be:
0: austere (little or no sugar)
1: dry
2: medium-dry
3: velvety (balanced)
4: medium-sweet
5: sweet
6: lusciously sweet
A wine’s acidity is noticeable as a sense of freshness in the mouth. To assess it, taste the wine and note whether you feel a lively and refreshing sensation on your tongue.
Like tannins, acidity can tighten the mucous membranes and create a sense of harshness at the back of the mouth.
It helps balance richness by providing freshness that contrasts with the weight of sugar and alcohol.
The wine may be:
0: flat (almost no perceptible acidity, although all wines are technically acidic)
1: subtle
2: soft
3: fresh (balanced)
4: lively
5: sharp
6: aggressive (or green)
A wine’s alcohol content is usually shown on the label. When tasting, you experience it as a sensation of warmth in the mouth. The more alcoholic a wine is, the more pronounced that warmth becomes.
Alcohol goes hand in hand with sweetness: if there is too much of it, the wine can feel heavy.
The wine may be:
0: flat (very low in alcohol)
1: light
2: subtle
3: generous (balanced)
4: warming
5: heady
6: overly alcoholic
The length of the finish is the time the wine’s flavours and aromas linger in your mouth after you swallow it.
A finish may be short, medium or long. A good wine is generally expected to have sufficient persistence on the palate.
It is measured in caudalies (1 caudalie = 1 second).
The finish may be:
0: nonexistent (0 sec)
1: short (1–2 sec)
2: fairly short (3–4 sec)
3: medium (5–6 sec)
4: fairly long (7–8 sec)
5: long (9–10 sec)
6: very long (over 10 sec)
And there you have it!
Now that you know the ins and outs of wine tasting, it’s time to fill in your tasting sheets and discover your results by scanning the QR code on the back of the booklet in your box!