Your Own Sommelier: How to Organize the Perfect Wine Tasting at Home

How to Turn an Ordinary Evening into an Engaging Exploration of Flavors

Wine tasting doesn’t require an expensive restaurant, a professional diploma, or a special outfit. It’s simply the art of tasting attentively and enjoying wine in the company of people you love.

In fact, tasting wine at home is often more honest and more enjoyable than in a restaurant. No one rushes you, there’s no need to use clever words — it’s just you and the wine.

But for a home tasting to be engaging and sincere, it’s important to follow a few simple rules. They help you hear the wine’s full voice, not just its “shout.” Let’s take a closer look.

Preparation: How Much Wine and Which Glasses

Calculating the Amount of Wine

Don’t be afraid of running out of wine. In reality, a tasting requires much less than you might think.

Standard calculation:

• Per one person, about 30–75 ml of wine per sample (depending on how many wines you taste)

• One standard bottle (750 ml) can be shared among 10 people for a basic tasting

• If you are tasting 6 wines, one bottle of each wine is enough for 10 participants

Just remember: during a tasting, wine is poured to one-third of the glass — this is the golden rule. It leaves enough space for the aromas to open up.

Choosing the Right Glasses

The shape of the glass is not snobbery — it’s physics.

For red wine:

• A wide bowl (600–800 ml)

• A large opening to allow the wine to absorb oxygen

• A long stem (so your hand doesn’t warm the wine)

Why? In a wide glass, tannins (the astringent compounds in red wine) soften faster, and the bouquet (the aroma) opens more fully.

For white wine:

• A narrower, elongated bowl (400–500 ml)

• A smaller opening to preserve freshness

• A long stem

A narrow glass keeps the wine cool and preserves delicate aromas that are easily lost.

For sparkling wine:

• Tall, narrow glasses (“flutes”)

• A narrow opening to preserve the bubbles

Most important: glasses should be made of clear, lead-free glass. A gold rim may look elegant, but it hides the true color of the wine.

Serving Order: The “From Simple to Complex” Rule

This rule doesn’t come from snobbery, but from the science of taste receptors.

When you drink wine, it leaves a trace in your mouth. If you start with a complex, sweet, or powerful wine, your receptors become “clogged” by that flavor. The next wine may seem flat or strange.

Correct order:

1. Sparkling wines (Champagne, Prosecco) — if included, start with them. The bubbles cleanse the palate.

2. White wines (light first, then oak-aged) — fresh and light first

3. Rosé wines — if included

4. Red wines (light to powerful) — start with Pinot Noir, finish with Cabernet Sauvignon

5. Sweet and fortified wines (Port, sweet Riesling) — at the very end

Additional rules:

• Dry → sweet (sweet wines overwhelm the palate)

• Young → aged

• Simple → complex

If you only have two wines, don’t obsess over the order. Just don’t start with the most powerful one.

Atmosphere: Light, Air, and Silence

Wine is a very sensitive drink, and it “hears” the atmosphere.

Light

You need natural light or a bright lamp to see the color of the wine. Not candlelight! Candles create a cozy mood but hide the wine’s true color. For tasting, you need to see every shade.

Hold the glass against the light and tilt it slightly. You should be able to see:

• Color depth

• Clarity

• Intensity of hue

Absence of Strong Smells

This is crucial. Your sense of smell accounts for about 95% of wine perception.

What to eliminate:

• Strong perfume (yours and your guests’)

• Scented candles

• Artificial-smelling fragrances

• Deodorants and air fresheners

• “Just a little perfume” — don’t apply it before tasting

What to do instead:

• Air out the room 15 minutes before tasting

• Open a window for fresh air

• Ask guests to avoid strongly scented cosmetics

Perfume, candles, and even heavily scented shampoo compete with the aroma of wine. Your nose simply won’t hear what the wine is “saying.”

Comfortable Room Temperature

If the room is too hot, everyone will feel uncomfortable and distracted. If it’s too cold, the wine will take a long time to warm up in the glass.

Ideal room temperature: 20–22°C (68–72°F).

Supporting Snacks: Palate Cleansers

During a tasting, snacks are not meant to fill you up, but to cleanse your palate between wines.

What to Serve

Bread (the universal choice):

• Sliced white bread or baguette — neutral, absorbs wine residue

• No spices, no olive oil

• Cut into small pieces

Why bread works: starch absorbs leftover wine and tannins from the palate. It acts like a cleanser.

Cheese (neutral options):

• Young or mild cheeses

• Avoid blue cheeses and very aromatic varieties — they overwhelm the palate

• Parmesan or mild cheeses like mozzarella work well

• Creamy cheeses help balance wine acidity

Important note: cheese is a delicacy in itself and can steal attention from the wine. Use it as a final accent, not as a cleanser.

Still Water (the Main Helper)

This is the most important element.

Between wines, drink plain, still water — not sparkling, not iced, just room-temperature water. A few sips help wash away the previous wine and restore neutrality to your palate.

Sparkling water also works, but some people feel that bubbles irritate the receptors.

What to Avoid

• Salty snacks (salt “kills” receptors for several minutes)

• Spicy foods (pepper masks wine flavors)

• Sweets (sugar overwhelms perception)

• Coffee or strong tea (they leave bitter notes)

Tasting order with snacks:

1. Sip of wine

2. Piece of bread or sip of water

3. Another sip of wine (or move on to the next one)

A Practical Home Tasting Scenario

Duration: 1.5–2 hours

Guests: 4–8 people

Wines: 3–6 bottles

Scenario:

1. Preparation (15 min): Take all wines out of the fridge 20 minutes before starting (whites should be cool, reds at room temperature). Glasses on the table, bread sliced, water poured.

2. Introduction: Show the bottle to the guests, name the region, grape variety, and vintage. This sets the mindset.

3. Wine #1 tasting: Pour one-third of a glass. Everyone looks at the color (2 minutes), then smells (2–3 minutes), then tastes (3–5 minutes). Silence. Just personal reflection.

4. Discussion: After everyone has tasted individually, share impressions. Do people like it? What notes do they perceive?

5. Palate cleansing: A piece of bread, a sip of water, a minute’s pause.

6. Next wine: If you have extra glasses, use them. If not, rinse the glass with a few drops of the new wine and discard.

7. Repeat for each wine.

8. Finale: The most powerful or sweet wine at the end.

Conclusion: You’re Ready Now

Remember the most important thing: home tasting is not about strict rules, but about attention and curiosity.

You don’t need a sommelier. You need:

• ✓ Clean, properly shaped glasses

• ✓ Fresh air and good light

• ✓ Water and neutral bread

• ✓ The right order (from simple to complex)

• ✓ Time to reflect

Everything else is personal experience. You may enjoy a wine considered “cheap.” A famous wine may not impress you. And that’s perfectly normal.

Tasting is a dialogue between you and the wine. No one can dictate what you should feel.

The best tasting is the one that brings you pleasure and makes you smile.