Whether you’re just getting started with wine or received an invitation to the tasting room, you’d benefit from knowing that tasting and merely drinking wine are quite different approaches to your favourite beverage!
Develop the etiquette of wine tasting with our walkthrough of the basics:
Note the colours
- With a red wine, look for a really deep, dark purple or red. This tends to mean that there’s a little bit more complexity in the flavour.
- With white wines, look for a golden colour or a “pale white.” Usually, the darker or more saturated the colour you see, the more “full-body” or flavourful and dense the wine is.
Nosing the wine
- Pour your choice of pour into a glass at about a fifth or less. Twirl the glass to swirl, disturbing the wine that was “slumbering” prior.
- In this agitating process, the wine stretches, much like yourself in the morning when roused by the alarm or shaken by someone! This unlocks its personality – the aroma and hints of flavours you will discover in your mouth soon.
What’s the difference between nosing and just smelling my wine?
Try it for yourself! Smell a glass of wine without swirling and then, nose it as we recommended. Can you tell how much more open and communicative the wine is? Not only do you detect more aromas, you also get an idea of how acidic it is going to be.
Tasting the wine
- It’s time to introduce the wine to your palate. Don’t drink by swallowing it immediately! Instead, detain the wine on your palate, pushing it gently back and forth and rolling it around in your mouth. Get the full picture, the entire organoleptic scenery!
- Different parts on your tongue are going to pick up different flavours. By coating your palate, you’ll get the most out of it because it’s going to help you get a complete feel. You should be able to confirm – and sometimes refute – what you had picked up and suspected when you first nosed the wine.
Pairing your wine:
Choosing the perfect wine for an upcoming feast? You’ll find these tried-and-true tips produce consistently great pairings.
Your chosen wine to pair with your dish should:
- Be more acidic than the food
- Be sweeter than the food
- Have the same flavour intensity as the food
- Be a better match with the sauce than the meat
Red wine…
- Pairs best with bold flavoured meats (e.g. red meat)
- Best balanced with fat
- More often that not, create congruent pairings
Our recommendations:
Moulin de Gassac
Cabernet Sauvignon
- Best paired with Curry Chicken
The freshest chicken mothered in luscious, creamy curry combine to be the ultimate comfort food for the local palate! - Tasting notes
A wine with charm and finesse. The nose hints of very ripe pear and a delightful touch of roast coffee. Anticipate a palate of stewed red berries, great tannic structure and a hint of toast. A powerful that opens well!
Chateau Malbat
Bordeaux Merlot
- Best paired with Curry Chicken
The freshest chicken mothered in luscious, creamy curry combine to be the ultimate comfort food for the local palate! - Tasting notes
Its ruby red colour reflects the purple notes of its youth. The fresh flavour comes from the use of red and wild berries, with a direct attack on the palate with fruity cherry notes. Over time, it gives away to blended tannins. Vintage 2017, Silver medal in Paris.
- Best paired with a classic One-Pot Hainanese Chicken Rice
Warm chicken rice with steamed white chicken. - Tasting notes
Delicate and refined with a rich aroma of cherries. This wine brings a complex and delicate nose with candied cherries, moka and light roasted hints. The mouthwatering palate reflects abundant fruit with a beautiful freshness and soft tannies.
White wine…
- Pairs best with light-intensity meats (e.g. fish or chicken)
- More often than not, create contrasting pairings (together with Sparkling and Rosé)
Our recommendations:
Domaine Du Tariquet
Chardonnay
- Best paired with Hot Smoked Salmon
Fresh salmon smoked in a myriad of spices for maximum flavour! - Tasting notes
This fine wine offers delicacy, strength and good structure, having fermented and aged in fine-grained French oak barrels. Its subtle bouquet reveals floral notes, fresh butter and hints of vanilla. Fresh and intense at entry, rich flavours then give way to pleasant toasty notes. Shades of vanilla oak underline the Chardonnay’s well-rounded palate and aromatic intensity.
- Best paired with a classic One-Pot Hainanese Chicken Rice
Warm chicken rice with steamed white chicken. - Tasting notes
A wine that will really enhance white meat and Mediterranean shellfish. A nose full of hints of citrus and wild flowers and a palate that opens on definite fruity notes with a hint of honey. It finishes full, buttery and long.
- Best paired with Classic Chilli Crab Dip with Deep Fried Mantou
For a taste of the iconic Singaporean signature dish, sweet & spicy sauce that is heavenly when paired with deep-fried ‘man tou.’ - Tasting notes
Light and well-balanced, this wine is a thirst-quenching. Domaine du Tariquet Classic is a dry fruity white wine with citrus aromas and nice touches of tropical fruit.
Wine is a passion many people all over the world enjoy. You might find yourself sharing the same passion and practicing to be a true connoisseur very soon!
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French Wine
Beer, Wine & Spirits
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