Intro to Wine Tasting!

All right, now we’re diving into red wines, and I’ll run through the same tasting framework using a Pinot Noir and a Cabernet Sauvignon.

As a reminder, this course is about learning the benchmarks and terminology, adding your own personal notes, and then tasting consistently while practicing saying what shows up, especially out loud.

The more you speak your tasting notes, the more confident you become. You don’t leave room to second-guess; if it came out of your mouth, it came from somewhere, and that practice builds fluency.

We’ll start with sight, and for reds we’ll focus on the same two categories: color and concentration.

First, consider the wine’s color.

Most red wines fall into the ruby range, but they can lean in different directions depending on variety, climate, and winemaking.

On one end is garnet, where the wine starts to show more orange or brown tones, often seen in thinner-skinned varieties as they age, since red pigment fades over time and shifts toward orange more quickly in thin-skinned grapes. Wines like Nebbiolo and Pinot Noir can move into garnet as they develop.

On the other end is purple. Deeper, more magenta-toned wines, often associated with thicker-skinned varieties like Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon (and sometimes Merlot), especially when the wines are youthful.

Thicker-skinned varieties generally take longer to shift into garnet tones. So, as you look at a glass, you can place it somewhere on the spectrum: purple, ruby, or garnet.

Next, assess concentration. Can you see through the wine or not?

This often relates to whether a grape is thin- or thick-skinned (though climate and winemaking can influence it too).

Thin-skinned varieties like Pinot Noir, Grenache, and Gamay are often more transparent; if you tilt the glass and hold your hand or a piece of paper behind it, you can see through the wine.

Thicker-skinned varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Malbec, and sometimes Zinfandel tend to be more opaque, with deeper color and higher concentration, making them harder to see through.

As you taste, simply note where your wine falls: more transparent or more opaque.

Now onto the nose. Swirl the wine, give it a good smell, and go straight to fruit first, but the fruit “camps” for reds are different from whites.

Instead of citrus and tropical, think in terms of berry color: red fruit versus black fruit (and sometimes blue fruit, like blueberry).

Don’t worry about naming a specific fruit right away, start with the category.

Red fruit includes notes like cranberry, cherry, strawberry, and red plum.

Black fruit includes blackberry, black raspberry, black plum, and darker cherry tones.

Many thinner-skinned varieties (Pinot Noir, Grenache, Gamay) tend to show more red-fruited profiles, while thicker-skinned, more powerful varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Malbec, sometimes Zinfandel) often lean darker-fruited, though plenty of wines can show both.

Also pay attention to fruit condition: is the fruit tart, ripe, or very ripe (baked/jammy)?

Climate plays a major role here. Warmer, sunnier climates often push fruit toward riper, jammy notes, while cooler climates tend to preserve tartness and freshness.

In the examples here, a Pinot Noir might present more red cherry, cranberry, even pomegranate-like fruit, while a Cabernet Sauvignon often shows darker cherry, black cherry, and black raspberry aromas.

From fruit, move into non-fruit notes.

These are trickier because they’re less familiar and can vary more from person to person, so again, use categories.

Look for floral notes (some reds are notably aromatic: violet and lavender can show up), herbal notes (often dried herbs like oregano), and vegetal notes.

Bordeaux varieties (like Cabernet Sauvignon) can show vegetal bell pepper or jalapeño character due to compounds called pyrazines (the same family of compounds often discussed with Sauvignon Blanc).

If you want a strong example of that profile, Carmenère from Chile is often cited as showing especially prominent pyrazine-driven “green” notes for many tasters.

Minerality can show differently in reds than whites, sometimes reading more like graphite, granite, slate, or a smoky stony impression rather than “wet stone” freshness.

Oak is also common in red wines; French oak often reads as cedar and baking spice with some vanilla, while American oak is frequently described as richer and sweeter-leaning, with coconut, caramel, and butterscotch.

Finally, consider aged (tertiary) notes: dried fruit can shift toward dried plum or prune, and savory development can bring in forest floor, cedar, leather, and nutty oxidative nuances over time.

Then we move into structure.

The structural elements are measured the same way as with whites: acidity, body, and alcohol, plus an extra major component for reds: tannin.

For acidity, ask the same question: does it make your mouth water?

Many reds fall in a medium-plus range, but cooler climates and higher elevations can retain more acidity and feel more mouthwatering.

Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon are often described as medium-plus in acidity, while Merlot is often cited as comparatively lower-acid among major international red varieties.

For body, use the same “milk comparison” idea to gauge weight and mouthfeel, and remember that thin- vs. thick-skinned varieties often correlate with body: thinner-skinned grapes tend to be lighter-bodied, while thicker-skinned grapes tend to be fuller-bodied, in part because of tannin and the overall palate weight.

Alcohol also plays into perceived body; higher alcohol can increase viscosity and fullness.

You can always check ABV on the bottle, and you can also gauge alcohol by where the warming sensation lands when you swallow and exhale: lower alcohol tends to feel more contained in the mouth, medium sits higher in the neck, and higher alcohol can feel like it warms lower into the neck.

Finally, tannin. This is a major structural component in red wine (and usually minimal enough in whites that it’s not emphasized).

Tannin comes from grape skins, stems, and seeds, and it creates bitterness and a drying, grippy texture on your palate.

Helpful reference points are tea and dark chocolate: over-steeped tea can feel bitter and drying, and dark chocolate can leave a dusty, drying sensation.

At the extreme end, high-tannin wines can make your mouth feel almost like sandpaper; Nebbiolo (famously from Piedmont, Italy) is often referenced as a classic high-tannin benchmark.

Cabernet Sauvignon often lands medium-plus to high in tannin, feeling noticeably grippy, while Pinot Noir tends to be lower-tannin and smoother, with an easier, less drying texture.

As you taste, ask: does the wine feel grippy and drying (higher tannin), or smooth and easy (lower tannin)?

As you work through different red varieties, jot down what you perceive at each step: sight, aroma, and structure.

All of your impressions matter, and consistent tasting matters most.

Over time, following the same sensory framework will make your notes clearer, faster, and more confident.