wine tasting

The sensory examination and evaluation of wine.

Whether you want to discover the best cheese and wine combination, treat your favourite vino connoisseur or want to learn to choose the best supermarket wine, wine tasting classes could be just the thing for you.

From professionally-led wine tasting experiments to masterclasses, to vineyard tours and tastings, there’s something out there to appeal to every palate. Have a search online for local events (maybe at your favourite wine bar), wine schools or check out the Wine Spirit Education Trust (WSET).

Any self-respecting wine enthusiast will tell you that there’s an art to tasting. Whichever you choose, your wine tasting experience will be led by a professional guide or sommelier. They’ll teach you how to properly smell and taste wine, the difference between varieties, and the terminology around wine-tasting culture.

You’ll learn that as well as flavours, tasting notes can tell you about other aspects of the wine, and that a flavourful robust wine will excite all of your taste buds from the tip of your tongue, the middle of your mouth and just before you swallow.

You’ll be able to spot the differences between English Wine and French, between Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc. Sparkling wines are covered, and of course, all the wonderful red wines that are out there too.

Virtual Wine Tastings are one of our favourite lockdown discoveries, meaning you can enjoy all the perks of sampling fine wines, without having to leave the house. It lends itself well to working over Zoom and we’ve enjoyed quite a few great virtual tastings over the last few months, including one where we ventured to the Loire Valley. Another fun option is joining a wine club, where every week or fortnight, people get together (in person or virtually) and learn about wine regions from Europe to South America. It’s not all about drinking the glasses of wine, although that is one of the most pleasurable parts, it’s also about sampling a selection of wines and learning the different grape varieties, regions, history, tasting technique, and wine and food pairing.