The Tasting Room - Casuarina, NSW (4 Nov 2021)

Getting the most out of the experience

Keeping an open mind

You may have tried a number of mass produced, fruit-driven Sauvignon Blancs and perhaps you didn't enjoy it at the time and worse, it has put you off the variety. However, this doesn't mean you don’t like Sauvignon Blanc. It responds well to a wide range of winemaking techniques so there are plenty of diverse examples out there. To put it simply, you can taste 10 Sauvignon Blancs and they’re all going to be different. Give it a chance!

Ask questions

Wine tastings are a great way to learn about wine, but it’s also an opportunity to learn about the people behind the wines. Is it family owned and operated? How did they get into growing and/or producing wine? What’s their winemaking philosophy? Is it worth all the hard work? Wine tasting is not just about the wine, it’s about the people behind it, and it's also about the experience.

Be bold, be adventurous

Keen to hear about other wines? Ask the person holding the tasting. At Baumé we love to talk about our favourite wines, so why not ask us what we recommend you try, and even what food we suggest pairing them with. If you don't know what style of wine you enjoy, be open to our suggestions, even if you are unsure. You might stumble upon your next new favourite!

Sensory challenge

Wine is a sensory experience that engages all of your senses – yes, even hearing! Observe the wine before you taste. Make note of the colour, the clarity, and the viscosity in the glass, preferably against a white background (a piece of white paper or a white napkin will work perfectly!) Next, the nose of the wine. Stick your nose into the glass and smell the wine, then swirl the wine in the glass and smell it again. Interestingly enough, many wines don’t taste like they smell, but see if there are any aromas in there that you recognize…fruit, flowers, spices, smoke, minerals, earth? Anything’s possible. There isn’t a wrong answer, nobody can argue with what you smell. When you sip the wine, ‘chew’ and swish it around in your mouth a bit before you swallow. Notice the sensations in your mouth: if there’s a tingle at the tip of your tongue, the wine is a little (or a lot) sweet. If it tingles at the sides of your tongue like lime or lemon juice, that’s the acidity. The chalk dust-like sensation on the back of your tongue is tannin, which gives a drying sensation in the mouth like an over-steeped tea bag. If you feel heat at the back of your throat, that’s a sign of high alcohol. Is it silky? Is it rustic? Is it full-bodied and opulent, or is it light and fruity? Every single wine is different, just like we are all different.

Don't be too quick to judge your first sip

Wine is a living thing, and it changes when it blends with the heat of your body, the air temperature, oxygen and the saliva in your mouth. Allow the wine to unfold on your palate. Notice the flavours as they change, and take note of how long those flavours linger in your mouth before and after you swallow. This is called the “finish”. A long, complex finish is an indicator of a highly concentrated wine.

To spittoon or not to spittoon

We believe spitting is very important in the tasting process as other prevalent aromatic notes often present themselves after the spitting. You don’t need to land the discarded wine into the spittoon from the other side of the room like the pros, you can do it quite elegantly if you get close to the spittoon. A good trick is to use a large takeaway coffee cup as your own personal spittoon!

Have a designated driver

There's nothing worse than going out with a group of friends and having to draw straws to see who’s going to be the DD if the public transport options are poor. It's best to hire someone to drive you to and from the event. That way you can just relax and have fun without worry. Relax, ask questions and enjoy the experience. Wine is supposed to be fun, you don’t need to take it too seriously, after all, it’s just fermented grape juice!