A wine tasting event can be a very funny and enjoyable experience. However, some hold back from attending for fear of not knowing how to act or what to do. There is no great mystery to wine tasting, only a few things you should remember.

Etiquette
With respects to etiquette, usually women are served before the gentlemen. Some places offer you bottled water. Use this to rinse your mouth between tastings so that your palate is clean for the next wine. There is often unsalted and unflavored crackers and bread to help palate cleansing. You should always handle the glass by the stem. This avoids heating the wine with the warmth of your hands, thus altering the taste. Avoid using strong perfumes and colognes to a wine tasting. This can take away from not only your smell, but also of other guests. Also, avoid smoking, chewing gum, and mints before and during a wine tasting so you can enjoy the full flavor of wine.

Wine color
You can learn a lot about a wine by looking at its color. When you attend a wine tasting, the glasses should always be clear so you can get a good look at the wine. The tables could also be covered with white tablecloths to help you see the color of the wine clearly. Do not let the name of a wine fool you. For example, white wines are not white. They can vary from yellow to green to brown. Red wines range in color from pale red to a deep brownish red and often become lighter with age. Sometimes the color of a wine may indicate age or flavor. You may be able to tell the age of a red wine by doing a rim test. Tilt the glass slightly towards the edge of wine glasses and watch the wine. If the color of red wine is more purple, it is usually a younger wine. If the color of red wine is brown, it is an older wine.

Swirl
Something you may have seen people do before taste wine is swirl it a little in the glass. This is to help open up the flavor of the wine. Remember that the wine may have been in a bottle from six months to many years. When someone swirls a wine, it helps release the flavor. Like when you are cooking at home and stir the food to help blend the flavors.

Smell
Wine color is only one aspect you will want to look at when you attend a wine tasting event. You will also want to smell the wine. After swirling, this is the next step in the process of tasting. You’ve probably seen people smell wine before and wondered why they do that. The aroma is a very important part of our tastes. Scientists have discovered that perhaps 75% of what we taste is actually based on what we smell first. You can smell the wine in two ways: by taking a small whiff to get an idea of how the wine smells, then a deeper whiff or take one deep whiff. After smelling the wine, take a moment to think of the smell. Do not taste the wine immediately after smelling it but give yourself time to explore what you smelled.

Taste
Lastly, you’ll need to know how to taste wine properly. Your tongue has taste buds in the front and rear. These taste buds can detect bitter, salty, sweet and bitter flavors, but some are more sensitive than others. There are three steps in tasting a wine: the first impression, taste and aftertaste. The first impression happens when you take your first drink and the wine actually hits your palate. It should awaken your senses to the wine. After taking the first drink, you should swish the wine around your mouth for a few seconds to let all your taste buds discover the full flavor of the wine. Think about what it tastes like. Is it heavy or light? Is it smooth or rough? The aftertaste is the sensation that stays in your mouth after swallowing the wine. How long did it lasted, and was it pleasant?

Something that may help you feel more confident before attending a wine tasting event is learning about the different types of wines or reading a wine guide. This will give you a better idea of what to look for as far as flavor and taste. The next time you’re invited to a wine tasting; do not be afraid to go. You may just have a great time!