Tasting wine can often seem daunting, with so many different, grapes, flavours, notes, and types of wine to explore. But, the truth is that you don't need to be a wine expert to appreciate and enjoy the art of wine tasting! To make it easy, we've put together a super simple guide to give you the most common wine tasting notes for the major grapes you'll see on a restaurant wine list or in the shop.
In the cheat-sheet below, you'll find a short-and-sweet breakdown for each grape along with the taste, aromas, levels of acidity, sweetness, and mouthfeel you can expect from each. We've also included pairing suggestions as an extra little help when you're scanning the wine list at dinner.
Whether you're looking to impress your friends or simply expand your knowledge, here's the quick and dirty to help you out:
|
Grape |
Flavours and Aromas |
Mouthfeel and Body |
Sweetness |
Acidity |
Appearance |
Pairing Ideas |
|
Chardonnay |
Citrus, Apple, Pear |
Full-bodied |
Dry |
Medium |
Pale yellow |
Roast chicken, seafood |
|
Sauvignon Blanc |
Grapefruit, Green Apple, Herbaceous |
Light-bodied |
Dry |
High |
Pale yellow-green |
Goat cheese, grilled vegetables |
|
Riesling |
Lime, Green Apple, Petrol |
Light-bodied |
Off-dry |
High |
Pale yellow |
Spicy Asian cuisine, smoked salmon |
|
Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris |
Citrus, Pear, Green Apple |
Light-bodied |
Dry |
High |
Pale yellow |
Light seafood, salads |
|
Cabernet Sauvignon |
Blackcurrant, Blackberry, Cedar |
Full-bodied |
Dry |
High |
Deep red |
Grilled steak, lamb |
|
Merlot |
Plum, Black Cherry, Chocolate |
Medium-bodied |
Dry |
Medium |
Ruby red |
Roast pork, pasta with tomato sauce |
|
Pinot Noir |
Cherry, Raspberry, Earthy |
Light-bodied |
Dry |
Medium |
Pale red |
Grilled salmon, mushroom risotto |
|
Syrah/Shiraz |
Blackberry, Black Pepper, Smoky |
Full-bodied |
Dry |
Medium-High |
Deep purple |
Barbecued meats, spicy dishes |
|
Zinfandel |
Blackberry, Raspberry, Spicy |
Full-bodied |
Off-dry |
Medium |
Deep red |
Barbecue ribs, pizza |
|
Malbec |
Blackberry, Plum, Tobacco |
Full-bodied |
Dry |
Medium-High |
Deep purple |
Grilled steak, empanadas |
|
Sangiovese |
Cherry, Tomato Leaf, Earthy |
Medium-bodied |
Dry |
High |
Ruby red |
Pasta with tomato sauce, grilled vegetables |
|
Tempranillo |
Cherry, Leather, Tobacco |
Medium-bodied |
Dry |
Medium-High |
Ruby red |
Tapas, paella |
|
Grenache/Garnacha |
Strawberry, Raspberry, Spicy |
Medium-bodied |
Dry |
Medium |
Pale red |
Grilled sausages, Mediterranean cuisine |
|
Chianti |
Cherry, Tomato, Earthy |
Medium-bodied |
Dry |
High |
Ruby red |
Pizza, pasta with meat sauce |
|
Nebbiolo |
Cherry, Rose, Tar |
Full-bodied |
Dry |
High |
Brick red |
Truffle dishes, aged cheese |
Note: The flavors and aromas mentioned are common characteristics associated with each grape variety, but they can vary depending on the winemaking process and the region where the wine is produced.
While the above is a quick-and-dirty summary of tasting notes, we know it's still a lot of wine knowledge to digest! We don't recommend trying to memorize all of it. Instead, we'd say pick a few grapes you know you like (or want to try more of) and try to keep the basic flavours, aromas, and pairing suggestions for those. You can always build your internal wine encyclopedia as you go :)
Stay Nosey!
