Swirl, Smell, Sip, and Score with Sterling
With the upcoming holiday season in full swing, you’re likely to be attending parties, hosting parties, or maybe a bit of both. A way to keep all that partying fresh is to organize a unique theme. If you’re hosting an upcoming soirée, consider hosting a blind wine tasting. It’s not as stuffy or difficult as you may assume. We break down everything you need to know below, plus we have a tasting sheet you can download that will walk your guests through this fun Sterling tasting experience.
What You'll Need
- 4-5 bottles of Sterling wine, we chose a mixture of varietals- 2020 Petite Sirah, 2016 Platinum Cabernet Sauvignon, 2019 Heritage Chardonnay, 2017 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, and the 2019 Carneros Rosé.
- 1 glass for each guest or 1 glass per wine for each guest.
- Paper to cover each label on the bottles and a pen to label each wine #1 through #5. Label the white wines first, followed by lighter reds, and ending with the heavier red wines.
- Download and print the Sterling blind tasting sheet for each guest.
- A pen or pencil for each guest.
- Crackers to cleanse the palate after each wine. Cheese, chocolate, assorted nuts, or charcuterie for guests to enjoy after the tasting. (optional)
Let's Get Tasting
Swirl it
Look at the appearance of the wine, tilt your glass and look at the outer edge. What color is it? Ruby, purple, garnet, white, or blush. Is the color intensity pale, medium, or deep? If you can read a written word through the wine, it’s pale. If you can just make it out, it’s medium, and if you can’t see it at all, it’s deep.
Smell it
Breathe in the aroma of the wine, put your nose in the glass and inhale. Swirl the wine again for about 10 seconds to let the aromas mingle. Start with the fruit. Is it a fresh red cherry or a ripe blackberry? Are you picking up any vanilla, chocolate, or spices? Finally, are you smelling anything surprising, like black licorice or tobacco?
Sip it
Take a sip and taste the flavor of the wine. Let it roll around your mouth like mouthwash. What tastes can you identify? Does it taste the way it smelled? Is it dry or sweet? Is it rich like cream or delicate like skim milk? Is it smooth or does it make your mouth water like lemon?
Score it
Think about the wine. Go back over your notes and put it all together. What did you and didn’t you like about the wine? When would you enjoy this wine? Try and guess each varietal you tasted before you reveal. Rate each wine on a scale of 1 (low) to 5 (high).
