No products in the cart.
SommWine • Wine & Beer Education
Wine & Beer Tasting Notes
Develop a stronger palate, find the words for what you’re tasting and understand why wine and beer taste the way they do.
Start with what you notice. You don’t need a course, a perfect nose or a vocabulary full of French words. This guide helps beginners, curious drinkers, hospitality teams and WSET students turn a glass into a useful learning experience.
In this guide: aroma and flavour families • how to taste wine • wine structure • where flavours come from • grapes and styles • beer tasting • writing notes • palate practice • WSET study
Choose your SommWine tasting path
90+ Wines
Professional SommWine ratings and reviews for wines awarded 90 points or higher. Start with the completed Azahdi Vineyards Viognier 2025 review.
Explore 90+ WinesDevelop Your Palate
Learn how to understand what you’re tasting with aroma guidance, tasting structure and practical palate exercises. Continue below for the SommWine tasting guide.
Start Tasting BetterStart with what you taste
“I know I smell something, but I don’t know what to call it.” Start with a family: fruit, flowers, herbs, spice or something savoury. Then narrow it down only as far as your memory takes you. Two people can notice different things in the same glass: experience, sensitivity, temperature and context all shape perception.
Use this visual guide alongside the Aroma Explorer and the tasting explanations below. On a small screen, open the full-size image and zoom in to read each lesson.
Open full-size guide (new tab)Explore Wine Aromas
Not sure what you’re smelling? Start broad. If it smells fruity, decide what kind of fruit. Then see if you can get more specific. Select a family to reveal familiar descriptions and a question to help you explore.
Fruit → citrus → lemon → lemon zest. Select a family again to close it. Open several to compare, and choose only the descriptions that match your own experience.
Citrus — explore
Common descriptions: Lemon, lime, grapefruit, orange, lemon zest.
Fruit → citrus → lemon → lemon zest. Does it remind you of fresh juice, peel or zest?
Green Fruit — explore
Common descriptions: Green apple, pear, quince, gooseberry, melon.
Fruit → green fruit → apple → crisp green apple. Compare tart apple with ripe pear; stop at the description you recognise.
Stone Fruit — explore
Common descriptions: Peach, apricot, nectarine, white peach, plum.
Fruit → stone fruit → peach → ripe peach. Is the impression fresh, ripe or cooked?
Tropical Fruit — explore
Common descriptions: Pineapple, mango, passion fruit, lychee, guava.
Fruit → tropical fruit → pineapple. Choose the closest familiar fruit rather than trying to find every example.
Red Fruit — explore
Common descriptions: Strawberry, raspberry, red cherry, cranberry, red plum.
Fruit → red fruit → cherry → fresh red cherry. Does the fruit seem tart, juicy or jammy?
Black Fruit — explore
Common descriptions: Blackberry, black cherry, blackcurrant, blueberry, plum.
Fruit → black fruit → blackberry. Compare fresh berries with stewed fruit; these describe different impressions.
Floral — explore
Common descriptions: Elderflower, violet, rose, honeysuckle, orange blossom.
Flowers → rose. If a specific flower does not come to mind, “floral” is already a useful observation.
Herbaceous — explore
Common descriptions: Grass, green herbs, mint, thyme, bell pepper.
Green or herbal → fresh herbs → mint. Does it suggest fresh leaves, dried herbs or green pepper?
Spice — explore
Common descriptions: Black pepper, white pepper, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg.
Spice → pepper → black pepper. Separate peppery notes from sweeter-smelling baking spices; aroma alone does not prove their source.
Oak — explore
Common descriptions: Vanilla, toast, coconut, smoke, coffee.
Oak-associated → toast → toasted bread. Describe what you notice first; one aroma does not prove how a wine was matured.
Earthy / Savoury — explore
Common descriptions: Mushroom, forest floor, wet leaves, truffle, leather.
Earthy → mushroom. Is it more like leaves, mushrooms or leather? These associations do not identify vineyard soil or a chemical cause.
Yeast / Fermentation — explore
Common descriptions: Brioche, bread dough, biscuit.
Bread-like → bread dough or brioche. Compare fresh dough with baked bread. Lees and autolysis describe processes or material, rather than aromas you must find.
Ageing Characteristics — explore
Common descriptions: Dried fruit, nuts, honey, caramel, tobacco.
Developed aroma → dried fruit → dried apricot. Look for fresh fruit alongside mature notes; one descriptor is not proof of age or quality.
Citrus
Lemon, lime, grapefruit or orange peel. Is it sharp and fresh, ripe and juicy, or more like zest?
Green fruit
Apple, pear or quince. Compare the smell of a cut green apple with a ripe pear.
Stone fruit
Peach, apricot or nectarine. Think about the flesh, skin or a cooked version.
Tropical fruit
Pineapple, mango, passion fruit or lychee. These words describe aroma associations, not added fruit.
Red fruit
Strawberry, raspberry, cranberry or red cherry. Ask whether the fruit seems tart, ripe or jammy.
Black fruit
Blackberry, blackcurrant, black cherry or plum. Fresh fruit and stewed fruit are different impressions.
Dried fruit
Raisin, fig, prune or dried apricot. Notice whether dried fruit replaces or accompanies fresh fruit.
Floral
Rose, violet, blossom or honeysuckle. Start with “flowers” if a specific flower won’t come to mind.
Herbal and green
Cut grass, fresh herbs, mint, green pepper or dried leaves. Fresh and dried herbs give different clues.
Spice
Black pepper, clove, cinnamon or anise. Pepper can come from the grape; some baking-spice notes can be associated with oak.
Oak
Vanilla, toast, cedar or coconut. Not every wine sees oak, and oak does not always taste obvious.
Earthy and savoury
Mushroom, forest floor, leather or olive. Describe the impression without assuming that you know its source.
Yeast and fermentation
Bread dough, biscuit or brioche, especially in wines matured with yeast lees. Dairy-like notes can occur after malolactic conversion.
Ageing
Honey, nuts, dried fruit or leather may emerge with maturity. Not all wines develop the same way, and age alone is not a mark of quality.
These are memory prompts, not a flavour wheel or a checklist you must complete. Choose two or three clear impressions before reaching for more words.
How to taste wine: look, smell, taste, think
Use a clean glass, a small pour and a neutral-smelling space. Very cold wine can hide aromas; let the glass warm a little rather than deciding it has no flavour. Avoid perfume nearby and pause between samples.
Look
Tilt the glass over a white surface. Notice colour, depth and whether it is still or sparkling. Colour gives clues, but cannot prove grape variety, age or quality. Legs on the glass are not a quality score.
Smell
Take a short sniff before swirling, then swirl gently and sniff again. Look for a broad aroma family and one or two details. Give your nose a rest if everything starts smelling the same.
Taste
Take a small sip and let it move around your mouth. Notice flavours alongside sweetness, acidity and texture. Aroma perceived through the back of your nose helps create flavour while you taste.
Think
What stands out? Do fruit, freshness, texture and alcohol work together? Notice what lingers after you spit or swallow. Record what you enjoy as well as what you observe.
Understand wine structure
Sweetness: sugar, not fruitiness
Does the wine actually taste sweet? A fruity smell is not proof of sugar. Acidity can make a sweet wine feel fresher, so consider both.
Acidity: the mouthwatering part
Notice tartness and saliva after a sip, rather like the response to lemon. Compare two wines and ask which leaves your mouth watering more. Acidity is different from alcohol’s warmth.
Tannin: grip and dryness
Feel your gums and inner cheeks. Tannins can leave a drying, gripping sensation, similar to strong black tea. They come mainly from grape skins, seeds and stems, and can also come from oak.
Alcohol: warmth
Notice warming in the throat or mouth. Alcohol can contribute weight, but temperature and other components affect the impression. Check the label after writing your note rather than guessing a precise percentage.
Body: weight and texture
Does the wine feel light, medium-weight or broad and full? Think of the difference between water and milk as a texture analogy. Alcohol, sugar and other components contribute; body is not the same as flavour intensity.
Finish: what remains
After the sip, notice the flavours and sensations that linger. A persistent fruity flavour is different from lingering heat or harsh dryness. Describe both the duration and what remains.
Where do wine flavours come from?
Blackberry, vanilla and toast usually describe what a wine reminds you of, not ingredients added to the bottle. Aromatic molecules arise in grapes, change during fermentation and develop during maturation. Some resemble compounds found in familiar foods; others work together to create an association. A descriptor is not a chemical diagnosis.
Grapes and growing environment
Grape variety, ripeness and growing conditions influence aroma potential. Sauvignon Blanc can suggest grass or citrus; Syrah can suggest pepper. Warmer conditions often favour riper fruit impressions, but site, harvest choices and producer decisions all matter.
Winemaking and fermentation
Yeast converts sugars into alcohol and produces aroma compounds, including esters that can suggest fruit. Malolactic conversion changes malic acid into softer lactic acid and can contribute buttery aromas. Time with yeast lees can add texture and bread-like notes.
Maturation and ageing
Oak can contribute vanilla, spice or toast, depending on the wood and how it is used. With time, fresh-fruit impressions may evolve towards dried fruit, honey, nuts or savoury notes. Oxygen exposure and storage conditions influence that development.
Explore wine: grape varieties and styles
Treat these as starting points, not promises. Climate, ripeness, winemaking and age can change the profile dramatically. Compare wines of the same grape before assuming one bottle tells the whole story.
Sauvignon Blanc
Often citrus, gooseberry, grass or passion fruit, with lively acidity. Compare a restrained, herbal example with a more tropical one.
Riesling
Often lime, apple, peach or floral aromas and marked acidity. Styles range from dry to sweet. Some mature examples develop honeyed or petrol-like associations.
Chardonnay
Often apple, citrus or peach. It can be lean and fresh or broad and creamy; oak, lees and malolactic conversion help explain the differences.
Pinot Noir
Often red cherry, raspberry and sometimes floral or earthy notes. Frequently lighter in colour and tannin than Cabernet Sauvignon, but styles vary.
Merlot
Often plum, cherry and a rounded texture. Tannin and body still vary with site, extraction and blending; “soft” does not mean “sweet.”
Cabernet Sauvignon
Often blackcurrant, darker fruit and firmer tannin. Herbal notes may occur; oak maturation can add cedar or spice.
Syrah / Shiraz
The same grape under two familiar names. Often blackberry, plum, pepper or savoury notes. Cooler and warmer examples can feel strikingly different.
Sparkling and rosé
For sparkling wine, notice bubbles, acidity and any bread-like aromas. For rosé, look beyond colour: styles vary in sweetness, fruit character and body.
Malbec
Often plum, blackberry and sometimes violet, with substantial colour and tannin. Altitude, ripeness and winemaking can shift freshness and texture.
Explore beer: flavour, bitterness and bubbles
Bring your wine-tasting curiosity, but change the questions. Beer’s malt, hops, yeast and fermentation create a different set of clues. Carbonation and bitterness deserve special attention. Pour gently into a clean glass and notice colour, clarity and foam; haze can be intentional, not automatically a fault.
Malt and grain
Look for bread, biscuit, toast, caramel, chocolate or coffee associations. Darker malt can give roast character without making a beer sweet.
Hops
Notice citrus, tropical fruit, flowers, herbs, pine or resin. Hop aroma and bitterness are related to different compounds and brewing choices: a fragrant beer is not necessarily very bitter.
Yeast and fermentation
Some fermentations contribute fruity or spicy impressions, such as pear, banana or clove. Other styles are more neutral. Sourness can come from particular fermentation organisms or brewing methods.
Bitterness, sweetness and acidity
Compare lingering bitterness with sugary sweetness and mouthwatering sourness. Roast can also taste bitter. Ask how the sensations balance rather than ranking the beer by bitterness alone.
Body and carbonation
Does it feel light, rounded, creamy or thick? Are the bubbles soft or sharply prickly? Carbonation changes texture and can make a beer feel more refreshing.
Alcohol and finish
Notice warmth and what remains: hop bitterness, roast, fruit or sweetness. Strong beer can feel warming without being harsh; temperature affects what you notice.
A citrusy hop aroma does not mean citrus was added. Some beers do use fruit, spices or other ingredients, so check the label after making your own observations. This is an independent introduction, not a reproduction of a WSET Beer tasting system.
Write a better tasting note
A good tasting note helps you remember a bottle, compare styles and discover what you actually like. It needs useful observations, not impressive adjectives. Record the bottle name, vintage or batch, date and serving conditions alongside your note.
Too vague to remember
“Nice red wine. Fruity.” This records approval, but gives you little to compare next time.
A note you can use
“Dry red wine with fresh cherry, raspberry and a little dried herb. Bright acidity, gentle drying tannin and a light-to-medium body. Cherry flavour lingers after the sip. I liked its freshness with dinner.”
Separate observation from preference: “firm tannin” describes a sensation; “too tannic for me tonight” records your preference. Neither needs to become a universal quality verdict.
A beer example
“Bread crust and citrus peel, with a dry-tasting palate, medium body and lively carbonation. Bitterness builds after the sip and leaves a citrusy finish. I liked the contrast between the malt and hops.”
Train your palate: small experiments, useful discoveries
Two wines, one question
Taste side by side in similar glasses at similar temperatures. Start with one question, such as “Which is more mouthwatering?” Then add flavour and texture.
Cooler versus warmer
Compare the same grape from contrasting growing conditions. Look for tart versus ripe fruit, freshness and alcohol. Treat climate as one influence among several, not a guaranteed answer.
Build a scent memory
Smell actual citrus peel, apples, berries, herbs and spices in your kitchen. Name the broad family first, then a detail. Revisit them without looking.
Compare acidity
Choose two dry whites of different styles and notice saliva after each sip. Repeat before reading the producer’s notes. Avoid letting sweetness disguise the comparison.
Compare tannin
Compare a lighter red with a firmer red. Focus on cheeks and gums, not just taste. Strong unsweetened black tea is a useful separate reference for astringency.
Taste blind, without pressure
Cover the labels and describe first. Reveal them afterwards and discuss what surprised you. Blind tasting is a way to reduce expectations, not a contest to guess the bottle.
Revisit after air and time
Note a newly poured wine, then revisit it after 15–30 minutes. Track changes in aroma and texture. More air is not always better; some wines lose freshness.
Write before you read
Make a short note before looking at the label or producer description. Then compare. You can learn from a suggested descriptor without pretending you perceived it first.
Keep sessions short and sample sizes small. Spitting is useful when comparing wines; take breaks and have water available. For hospitality teams, practise describing a glass in one sentence a guest can understand.
Studying WSET? Put your tasting skills to work
Taste with a question: how might grape variety, climate, fermentation or maturation explain what you notice? Comparing examples helps connect the glass with the theory, while consistent notes make differences easier to remember.
Use your current official course materials and the tasting guidance for your qualification. This free SommWine resource supports curiosity and practice; it does not replace WSET materials or prescribe an exam format. Our Ultimate Guides offer additional study support alongside your course.
Wine & Beer Education with SommWine
SommWine is founded by Joanne DiGeso, a certified WSET educator whose qualifications include the WSET Diploma, ISG Advanced and Italian Wine Ambassador. Her experience includes wine education, sommelier work, private tastings and hospitality training.
Based in Whistler, British Columbia, SommWine connects practical tasting with online wine education, in-person WSET wine courses and study resources. The aim is simple: help you understand what is in your glass and explain it with confidence.
Want to get better at tasting?
You can read about wine all day, but tasting with purpose is where everything starts to connect. Choose a course for structured learning, an Ultimate Guide for study support, or a private tasting to explore with friends.
