Appreciating the subtle nuances of wine and being able to accurately and elegantly describe what you are tasting in your glass isn’t a skill that comes naturally to most people. It takes time and practice, which certainly aren’t a hardship for the fledgling vinoisseur, but the process can be intimidating if surrounded by those who have more experience and don’t mind showing it off by using confusing metaphors or comparisons that aren’t usually associated with pleasing or even edible associations. There are some standards that most people adhere to, though, and once you have got those down, the rest will come quite naturally as your palate and ability to recognize and describe distinct qualities of a wine develop.

Getting The Wine into Your Glass
Swirling the Glass
Put Your Nose to Work
Tasting the Wine
Explore Your Taste Buds
Judging The Experience

Wine tastings are the single best way to train your palate and partaking in them often will enable you to become comfortable creating your own tasting language. They will also help to familiarize you with the etiquette unique to wine culture and to feel comfortable in even the most exclusive cellar or tasting room setting. Knowing how to describe a wine will enable you to articulate what you like, allowing for others to make suggestions based on your preferences. It also opens up the possibility that the next bottle you drink will be better than the last.