Come degustare un vino: guida pratica e semplice all’assaggio

Preparing to taste

Wine tasting is organised into three successive stages: visual, olfactory and gustatory analysis, followed by reflection on the sensations before and after tasting. The recommended environment is clean and free from tobacco, perfume and food odours, with natural or neutral light and a white surface beneath the glasses. Thin glass or crystal, a medium-sized tulip shape and larger bowls for reds are suggested.

Visual analysis

The visual stage assesses colour, brilliance, clarity, intensity, fluidity, viscosity and, for sparkling wines, effervescence. The glass is tilted against a white background to examine hue and concentration. Rotation reveals the wine's legs: slower, more pronounced legs indicate greater glycerol and alcohol. Sparkling wines are also assessed through foam, crown and perlage. The glossary distinguishes terms including brilliant, crystalline, dense, clear, opalescent, transparent and veiled.

Olfactory and gustatory analysis

The aromatic stage evaluates intensity, complexity, quality and persistence, including the way primary fruit aromas, fermentation-derived notes and maturation aromas combine. Gustatory analysis addresses sweetness, acidity, bitterness, astringency, warmth, consistency, softness, pungency, salinity and temperature, together with tactile, thermal, chemical and retronasal sensations. Descriptors such as off-dry, unripe, medium-sweet, astringent, harmonious, fruity, metallic, weak, soft, robust, round, rough and tannic are defined.

Improving tasting ability

Practical advice includes rinsing the palate with water, avoiding perfume and strongly vinegared, spiced, fatty or salty foods, and not smoking before tasting. Guided tastings, a tasting diary and theoretical study are recommended to build sensory memory and technical understanding.

The concluding glossary explains essential terms such as acidity, bitterness, sensory analysis, legs, aromas, astringency, bouquet, warmth, volatile compounds, consistency, deposit, effervescence, fluidity, alcohol level, clarity, softness, perlage, persistence, pungency, robustness, roundness, salinity, tannin and transparency. Tenuta Ulisse closes the guide by connecting this sensory vocabulary with its mission of carrying the grape's distinctive aromas into the glass.