Tasting wine like a professional does not require an advanced certificate, diploma or degree. In fact, with a little confidence and the guide that follows, you too can taste wine like an expert.

Step 1 – Fill a clear wine glass one-third full of wine. Hold the glass by the stem to avoid covering or warming the wine with your hands. If possible, place the wine glass up against a white background and observe the color. Typically the older the wine is, the deeper the color. Wine should never be cloudy.

Step 2 – Taking note of the clear and bright color of the wine, begin to swirl the wine while still holding the glass by the stem. To achieve the perfect swirl, keep your arm from moving as you rotate the glass only with your wrist. Since a wine´s aroma is found only on the surface, swirling the wine over the walls of the glass increase its surface and with the added oxygen, releases the wine´s true aromas.

Step 3 – After swirling, its time to smell and find the wine´s "nose". A typical wine can have as many as 200 scents and aromas. The different smells of a wine are the result of everything from the grapes to the material in which the wine was allowed to ferment. When smelling a wine, do so at least three times, with a swirl before each smell. Some individuals choose to take short sniffs, while others breathe in deeply. Stick you nose directly into the wine glass and sniff, drawing the aromas deep into the nose.

Step 4 – Now comes the tasting. Take a small sip of the wine but do not swallow it right away. Remember that different areas of the mouth and tongue can pick up on different tastes and flavors. Roll the wine and use it to cover as much of your mouth and tongue as possible. The taste improves with each sip. Next comes the aftertaste, which should last for several minutes if the wine swallowed is of high quality.