Sensitivity, practice, and knowledge. These are some of the key ingredients to becoming a true wine expert.
But there are other useful tools that will help you in this process. One of the most relevant is the Systematic Approach to Tasting (SAT), which most professionals use to accurately identify a wine’s characteristics and rigorously assess its quality and condition for consumption.
We share with you the various steps of this method so that you can carry out your wine tastings like a true professional.

How to prepare a wine tasting at home

An effective wine tasting requires creating the right environment.
Ideally, the place where you will hold your tasting should have good natural lighting, allowing proper observation of the wine’s appearance. This place should also be free from odors to avoid any interference with the aromas under evaluation.
Have a notepad and pen at hand to record tasting notes or, alternatively, if you prefer technology, write your notes on your mobile phone, tablet, or computer. You may also want to have a spittoon nearby to discard the wine you do not intend to swallow.
A suitable choice of glass is another important step that will help you appreciate the full potential of the wine being tasted. It should be colorless, without any decoration, and free from any odor or residue. When choosing a glass, it is important to ensure that it has the following characteristics above all: a round bowl that allows you to swirl the wine and help release its aromas, and inward-sloping sides to capture those aromas. Before starting the tasting, it is also essential to be well hydrated, as dehydration can cause a loss of sensitivity to aromas, and to have a clean palate.

Follow the technique that wine experts use in their tastings

The systematic approach to wine tasting consists of following an organized and rigorous model that will allow you to take into account all the relevant elements for an accurate description of a wine.
This tool is made up of a table that includes two distinct phases: a descriptive part, aimed at gathering as many notes as possible for a complete description of the wine being tasted; and a second evaluative part, in which, based on the description, the wine’s quality and condition for consumption are determined.

First phase of the tasting: Appearance, Nose, and Palate

The descriptive phase of the tasting comprises three distinct sections – Appearance, Nose, and Palate – which will allow you to characterize the wine’s profile from each of these perspectives.
Each section is broken down into various categories that should be observed. For this purpose, the table provides a set of descriptive terms, from which you should choose the one that best represents the wine in each situation.
In the “Appearance” section, you will analyze categories such as the clarity of the wine, the level of intensity, and its color. For this last category, there is a different scale for each type of wine: white wines can be classified along a color range from “lemon green” to “brown”; red wines range from “purple” to “brown”; while rosé wines include descriptors such as “pink,” “salmon,” or “orange.”
By participating in different tastings, you may easily come to the conclusion that all kinds of combinations between color and intensity are possible. Still on the subject of appearance, you also have the opportunity to make brief observations regarding elements such as legs, sediment, or effervescence.

We then move to the second section, which analyzes the behavior the wine reveals on the nose. Here, you will have the opportunity to notice differences in the character and complexity of aromas each wine presents. The first element to consider is the wine’s condition, followed by an assessment of the intensity of its aromas.
At this stage of the tasting, you are also invited to identify the characteristics of each aroma. Since this description can be very challenging, you are given access to a “Wine Lexicon,” which offers a structured approach to help you identify and describe the main aromas. These are divided into three types: primary, secondary, and tertiary aromas. For each type, the Wine Lexicon presents a set of descriptive terms organized into groups (for example, floral aromas, red fruit aromas, or herbal aromas). These terms will guide your analysis so that you can achieve the most accurate description possible. Considering the characteristics of the identified aromas, this section also determines the wine’s stage of development, helping you understand whether it is “young,” “developing,” “mature,” or already “tired.”

Finally, the third section allows you to describe a variety of components detected when the wine is on the palate. The analysis begins with elements such as sweetness, acidity level, presence of tannins, alcohol volume, body, or type of bubble (relevant only when tasting sparkling wine). This is followed by the description of the intensity and characteristics of the flavor (again referring to the aforementioned “Wine Lexicon”) and, lastly, the definition of the persistence of the wine’s sensations in the mouth after it has been swallowed or spat out, an element known as the “finish.”

Second phase of the tasting: Assessing wine quality

Once the wine has been described, the second phase of the tasting leads to drawing conclusions based on the collected information.
This assessment is made by determining the wine’s quality level and its condition for consumption.
When evaluating the quality level, which can fit into a scale classifying the wine from “faulty” to “outstanding,” criteria such as the balance between the different components present in the wine, its intensity, its persistence, and its complexity should be considered. An outstanding wine will be one that meets all four of these criteria.
As for assessing the condition for consumption, the main aspect to consider is whether aging may or may not bring benefits to the wine. Through this indicator, and based on the elements gathered in the first phase of the tasting, you will conclude whether the wine being tasted is still too young, whether it can be drunk now but has aging potential, whether it should be consumed now and is not suitable for aging, or whether it is already too old for consumption.

Embark on the discovery of unique wines

Through this detailed writing of tasting notes, you will not only be able to better understand wines but also capture their true character.
With practice, using the systematic approach to wine tasting will allow you to refine and calibrate your senses and come closer to the palate of great wine experts. We also suggest keeping a record of the various wines you taste. Having these notes at hand, for easy reference, will provide a comparative tool that will help you understand your own progress in how you perceive the essence of each wine.

Follow these tips, prepare your palate, and start your tastings.
Embark on the discovery of unique wines!
Take a look at our Uva Wine Shop and let yourself be surprised by the selection of unique wines we have prepared for you.