Sip, Savor, Repeat: Wine Tasting for First-Timers

So, you’re going to a winery in Wisconsin and you have never been before? Fantastic! You can read a lot online about the intricacies of wine tasting, but when it comes right down to it, will it really matter whether you tasted subtle hints of Peruvian vanilla bean with a dash of black cherry?

I have no idea whether there is such a thing as a Peruvian vanilla bean or not. Why? Because this is Wisconsin. Yes, certain flavors and aromas add to a wine, but we will not stress out over it. And, the whole idea of wine tasting is not to demonstrate how knowledgeable you are compared to others. Wine tasting is learning about wine—the different kinds, what you like, don’t like, and perhaps how the flavor interacts with food. One could argue that anything more is a reason for a higher price.

So, let’s start with the basics.

Wine Types

Several different types of wine are available for tasting at Wisconsin wineries. You have:

• Red wine

  • Dry, semi-dry/sweet, sweet

• White wine

  • Dry, semi-dry, semi-sweet, sweet

• Fruit wine (wine made from non-grape fruits, such as apples, cherries, blueberries, etc.)

  • Dry (occasionally), semi-dry, semi-sweet, sweet

• Mead (wine made from honey)

• Sparkling wine (carbonated wine, because we cannot legally call it champagne)

• Dessert wine

  • Port (frequently infused with brandy)

  • Ice wine (wine made from grapes allowed to freeze on the vine)

These are the primary types of wine available at most Wisconsin wineries. The style of wine (dry, semi, and sweet) relates to the amount of residual sugars left after fermentation. Each winery has its own method of offering wine tastings. This can vary by the number of tastings, to limiting to a specific type (i.e. in season, red wine only, dry only, sweet . . .) wine to taste. However, most will offer additional tastes if asked or if you are willing to pay extra. 

Cost of Tastings

As the saying goes, there is no free lunch; that extends to tastings, too. A few wineries may offer three or so complimentary tastings, but most require you pay to taste. Unlike wineries on the West coast where the tasting costs generally start at $40 each, most Wisconsin wineries charge a reasonable fee, generally between $5 and $20, with some costs higher for add-ons such as food pairings.

Tasting the Wine

Now that you have decided what you will taste and have paid for it, the following tips will help maximize your wine tasting experience.

First, have fun. Wine tasting is all about personal preferences, not what someone else thinks or says.

Start by looking at the wine. What is the color? Is transparent or opaque? Next, how does it smell? Grape wines often have aromas of floral, fruit, or herb notes. You may even come across some additional aromas related to the yeast or the aging process. Those smells include spices, vanilla, and wood aromas.

Now comes the best part; the actual taste. Your taste buds can tell you a lot about the wine. Is it sweet or sour? How does it feel on the tongue? Does it seem richer/thicker or perhaps seem like the wine is drying in your mouth? These are typical characteristics you may experience.

Many wines offer a complex tasting experience because some wines seem to change the qualities of taste and flavor. For example, a wine may taste sweet and fruity as it enters your mouth, but may change flavor to something more oaky, and dry by the time you swallow the wine.

Now that you have tasted the wine, what did you think? How did it taste? Did the backend flavor enhance your opinion or is it time to move to the next wine? Is this a wine that was easy to drink, or good for one glass? What else about it appealed (or turned you off)? Was it really good, or just okay? Answering these questions determine whether you opt to move on to another or buy a case.

Other Considerations

Most wineries are miles from formality, meaning, there is no dress code. However, many wineries are in rural areas and the conditions might not be as sterile as a retail outlet in the big city. Depending on the time of day, the wineries can get loud, so plan accordingly. I prefer to stop during less busy times when the staff may have more time to talk about their wine and the winery.

Wine tasting is a fun and interesting way to spend time with good friends and great wine. Why not investigate a winery and taste some of Wisconsin’s finest wines?