Blind Tasting…tips to be better going blind
HOW DO YOU BECOME A BETTER BLIND TASTER?
by Wine Class’ WSET Course Coordinator & Educator, Maya Nash
Firstly, it’s important to point out that for the vast majority of us, the ability to blind taste is not something we’re born with. It takes a tonne of practice and even still, no one gets the wine right every time. In the beginning of our wine journey, blind tasting is a super impressive and ridiculously intimidating magic trick that we think we can’t possibly ever master. But just like a magic trick preformed on stage, blind tasting is systematic, strategic, and dependent on hours and hours of practice. Hours and hours tasting to be a better blind taster? Where’s the downside?!
HOW TO IMPROVE
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This clearly has nothing to do with your sense of smell, but the better your theoretical knowledge is, the easier it will become to determine what kind of wine is in your glass and where it comes from. Expand on what this means and why it helps. Many European wines are labelled according to where they come from, not what grape variety or style of wine is in the bottle. But because the European regions have strict rules around what grapes can be used in each region and how the wine must be made and matured, understanding the theory means being able to decipher what to expect from a wine just by looking at the label.
Taste the Classics
Tasting all kinds of weird and wonderful wines is amazing and exciting but sticking to the classics while you’re trying to improve your identification skills will benefit you in the long run. Why? By becoming familiar with the classics, you’ll understand what to expect from different types of climates, maturation methods and winemaking techniques. That means that next time you come across a similar wine, you’ll instantly be able to draw some conclusions just by comparing it with classic examples from different places (we’d suggest wines like Chablis, Chianti, Barossa Shiraz & Rieslings from the Mosel).
Stick to a System
As we mentioned earlier, blind tasting is systematic. Sticking to a system such as the Wine and Spirit Education trusts SAT (systematic approach to tasting) is extremely helpful in making sure you don’t miss a major component when you evaluate the wine and that you look at each wine through the same lens. Using the SAT also helps create a common language between wine professionals and enthusiasts that allows us to have objective conversations about something as subjective as wine.
Don’t Jump to Conclusions
Even though you might be convinced that what’s in your glass is a certain variety or style, try to put that aside and complete your evaluation before you present your conclusion. This is important because if you have made your mind up halfway through and are just writing a tasting note to match what you think it is, you might end up overlooking details that could point you in a different direction.
Finally. Smell things!
The more things you can identify the smell of, the more nuances you’ll be able to detect in a glass of wine. So, smell your fruits, veggies, herbs, perfume and try to verbalize what it is you are smelling. Before you know it, you’ll be able to pick up the lemon zest or dried rosemary aromas that you used to think was pure magic.
About the author:
Maya holds the WSET Level 3 award in Wines as well as a Professional restaurant Sommelier diploma, she is currently undertaking the WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines.
Maya has a passion for education and loves sharing her wine knowledge with students of all levels. She believes learning should be interactive and brings energy and plenty of creative exercises and activities to each class.
