Wine Tasting Sheet

Use a wine tasting sheet to score wines and to make notes after tasting different wines.

A wine tasting sheet makes judging wines easier.

From a wine tasting party to individuals who wish to keep track of the wines they've tasted for future reference, people use wine tasting sheets in a variety of different settings. A good wine tasting sheet covers the five basics of tasting any wine:

• Appearance– The appearance of a wine tells you a lot about it. Place a piece of white paper or napkin behind a glass of wine.
  • Is it clear and brilliant or cloudy and dark?
  • Are there particles floating about in the liquid?

A good wine, whether it is a red, white or rose is bright and clear.

• Aroma – The aroma should entice the drinker to sip it. After a glass of wine has been poured:
  • Sniff it from a few inches away, noting any particular aromas.
  • Swirl the wine gently in the glass, holding the stem.
  • Place your nose at the edge of the glass and inhale the aroma.
  • Is it fruity or odorless?
  • Do you detect any other "notes"?

Wines should have a variety of interesting aromas when sniffed.

• Body and Texture – The body and texture of a wine should be pleasing to the tongue and palate.
  • Take a small sip of wine and allow it to roll around in your mouth, touching all of the taste buds.
  • Does the wine seem heavy or light?
• Taste and Flavor – Take a sip of wine and note:
  • Does the wine taste acidic or sweet?
  • Take a second sip of the wine along with a little air as well. Do you notice any differences?
  • What flavors can you detect?
• Finish – Swallow a sip of wine.
  • Is there a favorable aftertaste?
  • Does the flavor linger for a while?

A good wine has a pleasing aftertaste that lingers.

A wine tasting score sheet should have a place for the user to record all of their thoughts about a particular wine. Many people who taste wine as a hobby develop their own way of describing wines so that they can easily remember wines that they enjoyed or those that they do not. The notes should include information on the variety of wine, how the wine looked, smelled, tasted and whether it was an enjoyable experience.

If you're ready to start tasting wines, use our printable version here. We also have a handy wine terminology reference sheet that might be helpful to find the words to describe what you are tasting.

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