Taste Wine Your Way - No Sommelier Required (Game Included)

A Guide to Understanding What You Like in Wine

I used to feel a little intimidated, as if wine tasting required performing rather than simply paying attention. You don’t need a certification, a perfect palate, or the ability to identify “crushed river rock” on command. What you do need is curiosity, a glass, and permission to trust your senses.

Look (But Don’t Overthink It)

Color can hint at age, style, or extraction, but it’s not a test. Think of this step as simply orienting yourself.

Notice things like:

• Pale or saturated

• Clear or hazy

• Gold, ruby, garnet, copper

A tiny trick: Hold the glass over something white. This will bring the color into better focus. Pale color suggests a lighter bodied wine where the darker the hue, the fuller bodied the wine.

Smell (This Is Where the Fun Starts)

Give the glass a swirl, not to look fancy, but to wake up the aromas.

Then ask yourself:

• What’s the first thing you smell

• Does it remind you of a place, a season, a memory

• Does it smell bright, warm, earthy, floral, savory

You don’t need to name specific fruits. “It smells like summer,” “It smells cozy,” or “It smells like walking into a greenhouse” are perfectly valid tasting notes.

Your nose has been training your whole life—through kitchens, gardens, holidays, and everyday moments. Let it lead.

Sip (The Moment of Truth)

Take a small sip and let it move around your mouth. Notice:

• Texture: silky, grippy, juicy, crisp

• Weight: light as iced tea or full like whole milk

• Acidity: does it make your mouth water

• Tannins: velvet, suede, or black tea

These sensations tell you more about the wine than any list of aromas ever will.

Pay Attention to the Finish

After you swallow (or spit), notice what lingers.

• Does the flavor fade quickly or hang around

• Does it shift into something new

• Does it make you want another sip

The finish is where wines reveal their personality.

Ask the Only Questions That Matter

Not “Is this a good wine.”

Not “What should I be tasting.”

Not “Would a sommelier approve.”

Just:

Do I like this—and why.

And if I don’t like it, why.

Both answers matter.

Liking a wine helps you understand what excites you.

Not liking a wine helps you understand what doesn’t.

Either way, you’re building your own internal map of preference—one sip at a time.

A Great Game for Gatherings

Wine tasting becomes even more fun when you loosen up the language. Use the tasting sheet but try these prompts with friends to share:

• If this wine were a texture, what would it be

• If it were a season, which one

• If it were a soundtrack, what’s playing

• If it were a person at a dinner party, how would they introduce themselves

Comparing answers is half the fun, everyone notices something different, and that sparks the best conversations.

Tasting Worksheet: A Simple, Friendly Guide

Use this with your next Renard Creek delivery or at your next dinner party. It’s designed to be approachable, playful, and free of jargon.

Wine Name & Vintage

Look

Color: _____________________________________

Clarity: _____________________________________

First impression: ______________________________

Smell

First aroma you notice: _________________________

Overall vibe (bright, warm, earthy, floral, savory):

Memory or place it evokes: _______________________

Sip

Texture (circle): silky / crisp / juicy / grippy / plush / lean

Weight (circle): light / medium / full

Acidity: low / medium / high

Tannins (circle): soft / velvety / suede / firm / tea-like

Finish

Short / medium / long

Lingering flavors: _______________________________

Does it evolve after swallowing: _________________

An Invitation to Explore

At Renard Creek, we want every moment to feel personal, welcoming, and never fussy, just good wine and the space to enjoy it your way.

Here’s to tasting, trusting your senses, and finding joy in every glass.

If you try the worksheet or the tasting game with friends, we’d love to hear how it went.