There is a structure to careful wine tasting that sommeliers learn during training. The shorthand is “sight, smell, taste, conclusion.” The actual moves are simple, useful, and worth applying to any bottle worth $30 or more. You do not need a special vocabulary. You just need to slow down for ninety seconds.

Step 1: Sight

Hold the glass at a slight angle against a white surface. The color and rim tell you roughly how old the wine is, sometimes the grape, sometimes the climate.

Step 2: Smell

Swirl, then inhale into the bowl. Try to name three things – fruit, non-fruit, and something else. Three is enough. The non-fruit notes are usually where the personality lives.

Step 3: Taste

Take a sip. Let it sit for a second, then swallow. Pay attention to the fruit, the acidity (does it make you salivate?), the tannin (does it dry your cheeks?), and the finish (how long does the flavor stay?). The longer the finish, the better the wine.

Step 4: Conclusion

Ask: “Is this balanced?” and “Is this memorable?”

The single biggest difference between professional tasting and casual drinking is the pause. Ninety seconds. Everything else follows from that pause.

Wine Wednesdays are the easiest place to practice.