This post first appeared on the Look and Taste drink blog

Step 1: Get out of your comfort zone and try new stuff

My first tip would be to keep an open mind. There are thousands of grape varieties in the world, but probably no more than 10 of them are available in most supermarkets. So we need to get out and into some decent wine shops and ask some questions. Staff in wine shops love talking about wine - there’s tonnes you can learn from them.

I’d also recommend not sticking to the old faithfuls, whether that’s your favourite grape (Merlot or Shiraz) or country (Australia, Chile etc.). Try something new, you can always go back to your favourites.

Your opinion matters the most

For all their vast and deep knowledge there is one thing a wine expert can never tell you - what you like. Your own palate and your own opinion are what matter most.

The Lingo

If you’ve ever read  wine reviews in the newspapers you’d be forgiven for thinking there’s a whole language around wine. Actually, there kind of is, but let’s not get too stuck in that yet. There’s more to follow in a later post.

The tasting process

Tasting wine should be quite an active process - rather than just swigging it to wash down whatever you’re eating.

It involves:

• sight
• smell
• taste

Step 2. The pour

This is the first step, and if you want to fully appreciate what’s in the glass, only fill it to about a third. This leaves plenty of room in the glass for you to swish it around, for the aromas to come out and for you to get your schnozz right in there.

Choice of glass is also important - a tulip shape which narrows as it gets to the top is best as it keeps the aromas in the glass rather than being lost to the ether.

Step 3. Sight

This bit is too often skipped, but we can tell an awful lot about a wine by its appearance.

Anyhoo, take the glass and lift it up with some decent amount of light about. Natural light is best, but try getting that in Ireland.

Try and contrast the colour in the glass with white tablecloth or  paper.

The two C’s

You’re looking looking for colour and clarity - as if you’re out shopping for a diamond ring.

Whites can range from a very pale straw colour, through to gold, amber and even an off-brown as they age. Reds can range from the garnet, ruby to a dark almost black colour.

Step 4. Smell (or “sniffy-sniff”)

Smell is probably the most important of senses when it comes to wine because it’s intimately linked to taste. Just try and taste food when you’ve got a stuffed nose.

The nose or rather the brain can remember thousands of aromas. Give the wine a good swish and then get your nose in there. Swishing the wine can help it release its wonderful aromas. What can you smell? No matter how daft, make a note - written or mental.

If you can’t think of it, check the back label or even Google it. Most grape varieties will have a characteristic aroma. Merlot, for example, it often described as smelling like plums.

Knowing these key aromas may help kick-start your memory bank of aromas.

Try tasting in a group

It’s also a nice reason to taste wine in a group - let everyone else do the hard work and come up with the description of what you’re smelling. Wine is a great social drink and it’s actually a bit of civilised fun.

It’s also a nice way to have a selection of wines which you can taste and pick out the differences between them.

Step 5. Taste

Have  you ever see wine peeps making strange faces while gargling wine and sucking air?  It looks and sounds bizarre but they’re trying to get the aromas of the wine to the back of the throat and up the nose.

This isn’t recommended behaviour when you’re out at a restaurant but when learning about wine, it’s perfectly fine.

So, while the nose and mouth are bosom buddies, the gob can pick up things in wine the nose cannot.

Texture

• Is it acidic (like sour sweets)?
• Does it have strong tannins (which make your gums feel dry)?
• Is it light, like water, or heavier (more “full bodied“) like oil?
• How long does the taste last after you’ve swallowed it?
• Is it balanced - or do one or two characteristics stand out a bit too much?

Putting it all together

After all that, the most important question is “Did I like it?”. If not, try something new.

Of course, all this requires a bit of practice. For that I recommend getting out there to as many tastings as possible. Many good wine shops have a couple of bottles open on a Friday or Saturday and there are quite a few larger scale tastings and wine fairs.