Guide to Tasting and Rating Wine

This page will help you get your thoughts about the wines you drink onto the Project Vino website so that you can start receiving smart recommendations about other great wines your should try.

Step 1: Drink the Wine

Whether out with friends or at home, let's get the basics down first. It's all about the glass - if you get that right, you're 80% of the way there. You don't even need an expensive one, just make sure it's big. You can take glass choice to the nth degree but as long as it has the regular wine glass shape and is bigger than you think you may need, you can move on to the next step.

Step 2: Form an Opinion

Now for the good bit, taste it. Best to give a really big sniff first. Don't be shy, you've got big glass so get your nose right down in there and inhale like you've just discovered oxygen. Have a quick ponder on what you smell and if it's any good.

Now drink some. Does the taste match the aroma? Does it taste good? Not too "hot" for reds? Not too "nothing" for whites?

Print off your own Project Vino "Vinotes" booklet from here to help you itemize your thoughts, especially if you'll be drinking away from the computer. Full notes on using the booklet are here.

Step 3: Tell Project Vino

Now's the time to record your thoughts on that experience on Project Vino. Search or browse for the wine you tasted. Now choose the correct vintage and click "rate". Here you either transfer your written notes or add your thoughts directly. Give the wine a score for "aroma" and "taste" out of 5 stars (where zero is the lowest and five is the best damn thing you've ever tasted).

Now enter the specific aromas and tastes you experienced in the wine into the 'tags' sections. Also enter any foods you think might go well with this wine. The tags help us figure out what exactly liked about the wine and make the smart recommendations even better.

If you can't find the wine on Project Vino, then here's your chance to help out. Click the "suggest a wine" link and fill in the details. Thanks

Step 4: Repeat

You're now so good at this you should get out there and do it all again. The more you rate wines on Project Vino, the better the recommendations will be. To streamline the process, why not print the Taste Template to keep in the kitchen at home and take it with you to restaurants and BBQs. Once you've got a few wines reviewed you can login to your Project Vino account and upload them.