Wine : In which order to taste several wines ?

In what order should you taste the wine ? Beaux-Vins gives you some simple criteria for your tastings !

You certainly know the maxim "White on red, nothing moves, red on white, everything's off ”. For those who don't know yet, I explained its origin in an article which you can find at the bottom of the page. For the laziest of you, this proverb has no connection with the world of wine and you must stop using it - it sounds in your ear like Jean-Michel Comique when he says "See you next year" on the new year — !

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You can easily drink a white wine after uncorking a bottle of red wine. There are as many orders as there are tasting styles. The most important thing is to clearly define the type of tasting, to follow some common sense rules and especially to listen to your heart.

First rule : follow an increasing order of power and quality

This rule may seem obvious and yet it is a mistake that we still see too often. Whatever the occasion, it is important to offer light wines before uncorking your most powerful wine. The tannins of the latter will tend to saturate your palate. You will therefore perceive less of the lighter and fruity aromas. Going to extremes, a light Beaujolais wine should not be served after a robust Bordeaux !

It is also important to take into account the quality of the wines you offer. This may also seem very logical, but the wines that follow a grand cru will seem very bland… Starting with your simplest wines, you will be able to enjoy each of them until the end.

There is however a small exception to this first rule. : sweetness. The natural sweet wine, although less tannic than some meal wines, is served at the end of a meal or with dessert to be appreciated at its true value. Sugar tends to saturate the palate, it would be a shame to deprive yourself of other wines because of this detail…

Second rule : white and rosé wines before red wines

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As I explained to you above, the order of power is important. Generally, white and rosé wines have more acidity and have finer aromas than red wines. The floral aromas of white wine, to recite nobody else but them, are easier to perceive with a still neutral palate. It is therefore better to offer your white or rosé wines before your red wines during a tasting. Exception however : a great aromatic or fatty white wine - a Condrieu from the Rhône Valley or a Saint Romain in Burgundy for example - can succeed light red wines such as a gamay from the Loire Valley.

During a meal, this order of tasting is somewhat disrupted by the dishes offered. You can offer a powerful red wine with grilled red meat, then a white wine with your cheese platter to respect the agreements. I invite you to drink your mouth in between, that is to say, take a sip of the new wine before enjoying your cheeses paired with white wine.

Third rule : old vintages before young wines

Wine being a living product, it evolves over time : the tannins melt and give way to new aromas. Some are adorned with notes of undergrowth or tobacco, other stewed fruits.

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This rule is certainly the least infallible of all because it will appeal to your feelings much more than the others.. We tend to say that it is better to start with young wines and end with older ones. Indeed, these will be more complex and ending the tasting with a more "simple" wine would be to call into question the first rule..

Yet, there are many cases where it is better to start with the oldest wine. As I told you in the previous paragraph, an old vintage will have lost some of its power to give way to new aromas. Less tannic, it can turn out to be quite tasteless after drinking a more powerful wine. We can therefore decide to start with the oldest wine to fully savor its complexity and finesse rather than risking missing out..

Last rule : dry wines before sweet wines

As I announced earlier, the sweetness of natural sweet wines permeates the palate. The breadth and delicacy of these wines should be savored last. The acidity of white wines and the tannins of red wines would be dominated by the sweetness of sweeter wines.

What you must remember

By following these few simple rules : namely to order your wines by color, power, quality, age and texture ; you create a common thread to your tasting. You will be able to enjoy each wine at its fair value without ever regretting the next or the previous one.. Trust your instincts and indulge yourself. It is also by making mistakes that you will better understand your tasting order and learn how to improve your common thread.

We will start with the dry whites, which are generally fresher like Sancerre or Muscadet or sparkling wines. Follow with the bolder white wines, like a Burgundy Chardonnay aged in barrels, but also with white wines from the South of France, like a Viognier, Marsanne ou Roussanne. Then move on to the rosés with an increasing order of power.

You can now switch to the less tannic and fruity reds. There are wines made from Gamay or Pinot Noir., whether it comes from Alsace or Burgundy, but also the Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley with a Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil for example. Now, it's time to switch to wines with a more important tannic structure with the wines of the Rhône Valley and its Syrah, Bordeaux wines, then the more tannic wines with the wines of the South-West with the Cahors and other Madiran.

Finally finish with the sweet and syrupy wines. I am thinking of Coteaux du Layon, with Sauternes or late harvest…

To go further

Although I give you here some ideas for understanding the order of tasting, there is no such thing as a miracle recipe. You have to show a little organization and have some basic knowledge of the world of wine. By knowing in general the styles of the wines, you can more easily organize your tastings. Once you have sat down the basics by wine region, you will be able to look into the particularities of the appellations, vinifications or styles brought by the winemaker.

Remember that your wine merchant is there to help you in this process. He will be more than happy when you ask him for advice on the logical sequence of your tasting and will give you all the marbles to make it go perfectly. !

Jean-Nicolas Mouretin