Liquids

Tasting Wines, Spirits, and Beer

Tasting can be difficult. Sure, we all know whether we like what we taste. However, identifying aromas and putting it into words; well, that’s where it gets tough. It’s all about learning the language of wine. As a general rule, most wines smell and taste like food, and using food descriptors can help us to describe what to expect in a wine.

Sometimes I find wine writers can get a bit carried away in this area, stocking their notes with as many adjectives, aromas and flavours as possible. It’s difficult to imagine how they could smell 20 different aromas in a simple glass of fruity red. When someone starts talking about biscuits with apricot jam lightly kissed with rose petals from my Grandmother’s garden, well…they’ve lost me. As enticing as this sounds, who’s to say that my Grandmother’s garden doesn’t smell like manure!

I also find tasting very subjective. What I might perceive as asparagus on a wine, you might pick up as green beans. The common denominator though is that they both give vegetal and green aromas. Also, who are you tasting wines with? Poor company can sometimes give you a bitter taste…..My advice: practice makes perfect! However, I’ll use this section of the website to provide you with some of my tasting notes to help you on your way.