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Before discussing how to taste wine, let`s take a small step back and examine how we taste anything.   Our tongue has many taste buds and different part of our tongue specialize in perceiving different tastes.  It is believed we can only taste 4 separate things (a fifth is being proposed) and they are:

• Sweet – the highest concentration is at the tip and front of tongue though there are some sensing spread right through the front three-quarters, though a few other zones are also here.
• Salty – If sweet is the first 25%, salty is the second 25% of the  tongue
• Sour – runs the outside of te tongue (both sides) and is about half the length of the tongue; behind the sweet zone and in front of the bitter (the middle `half`with 25% of tongue in front and behind it)
• Bitter – Back of the tongue running the entire width.
• There are expanding theories that we also taste something called umami, which is essentially savory although it`s not entirely accepted by science yet.

The geography of everyone`s mouth is indeed different and the wine I adore may be one you hate – and we can both be right.  Like the nose, you are also the expert of your own mouth and what you taste is, ultimately, what you taste.   When tasting wine, we must consider the different taste ranges of the mouth as well as how to get the most flavor from the wine.    A purist is very specific to the correct glass as it will affect where wine lands on the tongue and change how you perceive it`s flavor.  Many of us don`t have the luxury of a glass for all seasons but buying a few different styles (you don`t have to break the bank) can be a nice luxury.   There are at least 3 ways to taste wine other than firing a sip in your mouth and swallowing.  If you haven`t done any of these, you must try all 3 as each will have a different experience (you can combine as well).  I will do these through an entire glass (erm, or bottle) of wine:

• Gently move the wine around your entire mouth, covering all regions of your tongue and created a more distributed taste.
• Take a moderate sip and leave it coat your mouth for 3-5 seconds.  The wine will warm, your mouth will be coated and your olfactory senses will become engaged and the tastes will become much more transparent.
• My favourite (do this over a sink your first few times as the abundance of taste is so dramatic that it can be overwhelming).  With a sip of wine in your mouth, part your lips a small bit (this won`t be noticeable to anyone watching).  Gently breathe in and tilt your head forward (if you stopped breathing the wine would come out the tiny opening of your mouth).  This quietly `gargles` the wine, adds a huge amount of oxygen to it and the flavors will explode in your mouth.  There are very few things in life that are as fun as showing someone how to do this for the first time.

From there, concentrate on your flavors.  The `real pros`examine things like sweetness, bitterness, amount of fruit (mostly from smell), aftertaste, acidity (in whites) and the tannins (in red, these make you pucker) and compare.  You may wish to move on to these types of examinations as you progress through tastings but just seeing what it `tastes like` is plenty of fun and a fine place to be indeed.   If you haven`t tried these techniques, I implore you to do so.  The experience of drinking wine will be forever changed and, in my opinion, just so much more fun.   Please share any experience or tips in the comments, we`d love to hear them!