Writing a wine description can be a daunting task for beginners. But with the right guidance, you can easily learn how to write a wine description that accurately captures the flavor and character of the wine. To start, you should begin by noting down the basics of the wine, such as the producer, full name, region of origin, grape variety or varieties, price, and alcohol percentage. Additionally, you should also include any interesting facts related to its history, such as the change of winemakers, elevation of the vineyard, type of soil in the vineyard, etc.
In addition to flavors, tasting notes can also inform you about other aspects of wine. For example, tannins are more commonly associated with red wines since the skin of the grape is left to rest during the fermentation process. Knowing where different aromas come from will help you better write your wine notes. If you're looking to expand your wine horizons, there are nine alternative wines to try.
Even if you don't feel the need to describe a wine during the tasting, it's great to be able to steer your friendly sommelier or wine shop professional in the right direction when choosing a wine. To help you become a more confident wine taster and buyer, here is a list of common descriptive words about wine that are useful to know and can help you understand what to expect from a certain style. These words include: fruity, floral, spicy, earthy, herbal, oaky, tannic, acidic, sweet, dry and full-bodied.