How to Taste Wine Like a Sommelier: 5 Steps

Mon, 04 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

There is a moment in every wine drinker’s life when the question changes from “do I like this?” to “why do I like this?” Answering the second one is the entire job of a sommelier, and it depends on a sequence rather than a gifted palate: the same five steps, run the same way, until noticing becomes automatic.

The sequence is see, swirl, sniff, sip, savor, and it takes about a minute. Below: all five steps in the order a professional runs them, how those observations get recorded on a formal tasting sheet, the mistakes that cost beginners the most, and how to practice.

How to Taste Wine on Sommo — AI Wine Scanner, WSET Prep & Wine Journal App

How to Taste Wine Like a Sommelier: 5 Steps