Wine tasting Prince Edward County wine is a process of detecting wine qualities that suit your tastes.

When wine tasting in Prince Edward County or any region there are certain qualities in the wine that will make it stand out.

Do you know what to look for?

To determine wine quality you can learn to self-test wine.

This includes increasing your knowledge of wine preservation, wine serving temperature, wine color, wine sweetness, wine acidity, and wine tannins.

Steps For Wine Tasting Prince Edward County Wine

The process of wine tasting involves four main steps, Observation, The Swirl, Sniff (Smell), and taste.

The taste of wine can be affected by the type of grape, soil, climate, weather, sunlight, and precipitation.

Prince Edward County wines are affected by all of these attributes as you will notice during your next wine tour!

Also the technique the winemaker uses to make such as maceration, fermentation, extraction, and aging directly affect the wine’s fragrance, acidity, tannins, and color.

Each winemaker has their own style and as you tour some of the wineries in Prince Edward County you’ll see and taste a difference.

1. The Observation

The color of a wine can be one way to tell its style and anticipate the taste.

There are two main things to look for in a wine:

1. Legs: Lightly swirl the wine in your glass and watch how it leaches to the inside of the glass. These are called the legs of the wine. This indicates the presence of alcohol in the wine. The more legs, the more alcohol level.
2. Color: The hue and level of Intensity of the color can tell you what to expect when tasting. The deeper the color, the bolder the wine.

Colors range from almost clear, light yellow, to deep golds and reds all the way up to dark purple.

Each with its own unique flavors that go great together or apart depending on your mood!

Most people don’t realize that wine would be almost clear if it was never in contact with the grape skin.

The color is not made up of just one ingredient such as fruit juice. Instead, the color of a wine comes from how long the grape skin is in contact with juice after pressing the wine.

The longer the free-run juice comes in contact with those skins, the more those skins will change the color of the wine.

White wines realistically have various levels of yellow hue from the white grape skins.

You’ll notice some white wines are almost transparent and others are deep gold in color.

2. The Swirl

You swirl the wine for three main reasons:

1. Look for legs in the wine glass: As you swirl the wine in your glass, you can gauge the level of alcohol in the wine. The alcohol leaches to the inside of the glass creating “Legs”.
2. Vaporization: When you swirl your wine, it’s almost like turning up the volume on an audio system. The swirling of your wine can actually increase its fragrance.
3. Viscosity: The thicker the wine the sweeter it will be.

The smells of certain wines grow stronger as they are concentrated in aerators and glasses with greater surface areas for evaporation which also means that more aromatic compounds will come out!

You may want to learn why using wine aerating can really change the taste of wine.

When swirling wine in a glass, it should be held by the stem so that the heat from your hand does not affect the wine’s temperature.

Makes sense right?

3. Smell the wine slowly

Wine tasting is all about the nose. Without a light sniff, your brain can’t prepare for what flavors are hidden in that glass of red or white!

So before taking a sip, take the time to first smell slowly and deeply so your brain can help identify all the different notes your taste buds are about to explore.

When smelling wine, see how many fruits your brain can identify. Most people will usually recognize at least 3 different fruits.

When you take a small sip, exhale through your nose.

This will help to open up your sinuses and allow you to smell the wine more easily.

This may seem like an extra step but trust me once you practice smelling the wine your brain will start to categorize all the different characteristics.

This will help you recognize the wine you’ll enjoy most and greatly improve your wine-tasting experience.

4. Sipping the wine

Wine tasting is used to determine your preference in wine. There are many factors to consider including wine type, vintage, region, chilled, temperature etc.

Basic Flavors of Red Wine

The flavors of wine you can expect to taste are blackberry, blueberry, cherry, cranberry, fig, plum, raisin, raspberry, strawberry, oak or smoke, and various floral tones and spices.

The darker the red wine the bolder and more pronounced the flavors can be.

These flavors can be enhanced by using an aerator that lets the wine breathe.

Basic Flavors of White Wine

The flavors of white wine you can expect to taste are pear, apple, apricot, banana, citrus, kiwi, mango, melon, butter, peach, pineapple, and some tropical florals.

The Basics for Tasting Wine

White wines are usually tasted before red wines and sparkling wines are usually tasted last.

After swirling and smelling the wine, take a small sip and swish it around in your mouth for a few seconds before you swallow.

Once you have swallowed the wine, take a deep breath in through your nose and then out through your mouth to help clear your palate.

Drink a mouthful of water between different wine tastings to clean your taste buds and palate.

Repeat this process for each type of wine you are tasting.

You may notice that when your wine tasting Prince Edward County wine there will be some slightly different attributes.

This will be in relation to the specific environmental influences in the county.

These influences include the soil composition, weather, rain, and amount of sunlight that all impact the grape.

Do Some Research

Before you go wine tasting, it’s a good idea to do a bit of research about the region you’ll be visiting.

There are over 41 wineries in Prince Edward County and lots to consider.

You can choose from the sparkling wines of Hinterland Winery the award-winning Pinot Noir from Closson Chase or select the best wineries to eat at.

For example, the Waupoos Winery has a full menu and Amanda’s Winery has an amazing table wine.

If you have no idea of what wines you want to explore consider your own self-guided wine tour.

Find out what kind of grapes are grown where and what types of wines are produced.

This will give you a better sense of what to expect when you’re doing your tasting.

Set a Budget

Wine tasting can be pricey, so it’s important to set a budget before you go.

Decide how much you’re willing to spend on wine and stick to it.

Most wine tastings will have a range of prices, from $2 -$4 so there’s sure to be something within your budget.

Note: Some wineries will not charge you for a tasting if you buy a bottle or two.

Pace Yourself

When you’re doing your tasting, it’s important to pace yourself. You might be tempted to gulp down each sample, but that’s not the best way to appreciate or identify the flavors.

Instead, take small sips and really savor the taste. You should also have some water on hand to cleanse your palate between tastings.

This will help you detect different flavors in each wine.

Take Notes

When you’re trying different wines, it can be helpful to take notes or take pictures. That way, you can remember which ones you liked (and didn’t like) after your trip is over.

You might even want to bring along a small notebook and pen so you can jot down your thoughts at the moment.

I take notes on my phone or rate my wine in an Instagram post.

Or, if you prefer, there are several apps that can help you keep track of your favorite wines.

My Final Two Cents for Wine Tasting Prince Edward County Wines

If you’re looking to maximize your wine-tasting experience, this advice will take your wine-tasting to the next level.

Do some research on the wine region ahead of time.

Not only will you learn about the grapes used in making each wine, but also about the unique terroir that gives Prince Edward County wines their special flavor profile.

Once you arrive at a winery, take your time to observe the wine before swirling, smelling, and finally tasting it.

And don’t forget to savor every sip, after all, you’re on vacation!

Also, see what wineries are open through the winter.

Have you been to any Wineries in Prince Edward County?

What was your favorite part of the experience?

Have you tried using these tips when visiting wineries in Prince Edward County?

We’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments below.