Visually inspect the wine. Hold the glass by the stem and tilt it at a 45 degree angle against a white background to observe its clarity, intensity, color, and other (CICO).

Do not hold the glass by the bowl. The heat of your hand will quickly warm the wine.

• Clarity: Clear. Hazy.
  A clear wine indicates good filtration. Cloudiness may suggest it is unfiltered.

• Intensity: Pale. Medium. Deep.

• Colors:
  Red: Purple. Ruby. Garnet. Tawny. Brown.
  White: Lemon-Green. Lemon. Gold. Amber. Brown.
  Rose: Pink. Salmon. Orange.

• Other Observations:
  Tears/Legs. Deposit. Petillance (Spritz). Bubbles.

Gently swirl the wine in the glass. This draws oxygen from the air into the wine. The wine 'opens up' and releases its aromas.

Swirling increases the surface area exposed to air, releasing aromatic compounds. It can also help gauge the wine's viscosity, or body. Wines with higher alcohol content, or sugar levels, tend to form thicker "legs" that drip down slowly in the glass.

• Hold the glass by the stem
• Train with water first to avoid spilling
• Swirl the glass on the table or up in the air
• Duration 5-10 seconds

Don't fill the glass to the top. Bring the glass to your nose. Stick your nose inside and take a deep inhale. The first sniff gives you a sense of the wine's primary aromas, which can reveal the grape variety, the fermentation method and the aging process.

Human nose can detect a trillion smells. Try to identify as many aromas as possible, and pay attention to how they evolve.

• Primary aromas from the grape (fruity, floral, herbal):
  apple, lemon, berries, rose, violet.

• Secondary aromas from fermentation (yeasty, nutty):
  bread, toast, smoke, butter, wood, nutts.

• Tertiary aromas from maturation/aging (leather, tobacco).

Take a small sip and let the wine roll over your tongue. Focus on the flavors and texture (acidity, sweetness, tannin, and body). Take note of the balance between these elements. Different parts of your mouth will pick up different flavor characteristics, such as sweetness on the tip of your tongue and acidity on the sides.

Wine releases different quantities of flavors depending on the volume of the sip. Small sips detect melon, baked apple, apple pie, grass, wood, almond and wine varietals such Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Large sips detect citrus, berries, cherries, grapefruit, honey, flower, truffle, kerosene and wine varietals such Riesling and Gewürztraminer.

After sipping, consider the aftertaste of the wine. Bring in som air to your tongue and gums. Move the wine around in your mouth and try sucking on it.

Swallow and notice how long the flavor stays. Some wines have a short finish where the flavors fade quickly, others linger for several seconds in your mouth. Quality wines last longer (have a good lenght).

Evaluate the wine's balance — how flavors, acidity, tannins, and alcohol come together.

• Sweetness: is the wine sweet or dry?

• Acidity: aka tartness. Too much tastes bitter, too little tastes flat.

• Tannins: tastes astringent and mouth-drying. Typical of young reds.

• Alcohol: if not balanced by tannins and fruit it tastes unpleasant.

If you are tasting multiple wines, spitting is essential to avoid getting tipsy.

Spitting is a common practice, especially in professional tastings, to sip and then spit into a spittoon. This allows you to taste many wines without overindulging and keeps your senses sharp.

If you taste many wines, start with the lightest whites and proceed to the heaviest reds. This will keep your taste buds more sensitive to taste the next wine. Sip water between wines to clean your palate.