How to taste wine

Tasting wine isn’t rocket science. Whether your cracking a new bottle at home, or tasting a new wine at the restaurant, there are a few simple rules you should cater:

1. Use a proper wine glass. Don’t taste wine straight from the bottle. Never.
2. Make sure you taste it at the right temperature. Right is not “room temperature” – unless, of course, you have the Air Conditioning set to Red or White.
3. Keep your mouth shut prior to wine tasting, meaning: avoid eating a clove of garlic right before tasting.

Finally: wine tasting is meant for you to distinguish some objective features of the wine you’re tasting. If you don’t like a wine, say it and send it back, regardless of its price. Things aren’t good just because they’re expensive, so ease the pressure on that.