Becoming a Better Taster

I often get asked how to become a better wine taster. I say that it’s like learning to play a musical instrument. Once you’ve mastered the technique, it’s all about practice. Getting out in the world and smelling different things like flowers, trees, vegetables, fruits and other daily items we come across will further provide your memory with scents that you will inevitably come across in wine tasting. That way you’ll have a library of aromatics to call upon. Palate training exercises are also good, especially for sweet, sour, bitter and salt components. Finally, it’s always a good idea to taste with folks whose palates are more advanced than yours where you can learn from them. Remember I’m talking about tasting here, not merely drinking.