Savor: How long does the taste and feel of a wine stick around in your mouth
There you have it, the complete DOMSOM 6s process for tasting white wine. We fully expect you to follow it each and every time you open a bottle! Not really, but we can confirm the more you at least think through the steps, the more you will appreciate the experience of wine. As you build on these skills, we are confident you will be able to choose or recommend wine more easily by using the descriptions of aromas and flavors and understand why two wines from the same varietal can taste quite different.
Now that you know how to leverage the DOMSOM 6 Ss of wine tasting for white wine, it is time to use your knowledge to follow the same steps for tasting red wine.
Principles of Wine Tasting: White Wine
Sight: Describing the Appearance of a Wine | |
Clarity | Clear Hazy Cloudy |
Intensity | Pale Medium Deep |
Color | Lemon Gold Amber |
Swirl: Describing the Impact of Wine on the Glass | |
Aroma Opening | Little Moderate Significant |
Tearing | Light Medium Heavy |
Staining | None Light Medium Heavy |
Smell: Describing the Smell of a Wine | |
Intensity | Light Medium Intense |
Aroma Characteristic | Primary Secondary Tertiary |
Sip: Describing the Flavor of a Wine | |
Floral | Rose Blossom |
Green Fruit | Apple (Green, Red, Yellow) Pear |
Citrus Fruit | Lemon Lime Grapefruit Orange |
Stone Fruit | Peach Nectarine Apricot |
Tropical Fruit | Banana Lychee Mango Melon Passion Fruit Pineapple |
Fruit Character | Just Ripe Ripe Overripe Baked Dried |
Other | Wet Stones Bell Pepper |
Swish: Describing the Mouthfeel of a Wine | |
Acidity | Low Medium High |
Alcohol | Low Medium High |
Body | Light Medium Full |
Sweetness | Dry Off-Dry Semi-Sweet Sweet |
Savor: Describing the Finish of a Wine | |
Length | Short Medium Long |
Complexity | Simple Medium Complex |
Secondary (Smell / Sip) | |
Yeast | Biscuit Pastry Bread Toast Bread Dough Cheese Yoghurt |
Malolactic Fermentation | Butter Cream Cheese |
Oak | Vanilla Cloves Coconut |
Tertiary (Smell / Sip) | |
Bottle Age | Dried Fruits Earth / Mushroom Petrol (Riesling) Honey |
Oak Age | Vanilla Baking Spice Toasted Nuts |