Step1
First go to the store and buy yourself two bottles of wines. If you like white try 2 whites. If you like reds buy 2 reds. Make sure you try vastly different wines first. For example try a Bordeaux (mostly Cabernet Sauvignon grape) and a Pinot Noir. This will allow you to taste side by side big differences.
Step2
Next, read your wine pairing book and find a couple cheeses to buy with some bread (old fashion French or Italian, no square loaf). Buy the cheeses and serve them with the bread.
Step3
If you don't have a decanter, open the bottles at least an hour in advance.
Step4
Now you are ready to pour the wines. Pour a small serving of each wine in a separate glass. Glass should be a clear wine glass preferably, not colored.
Step5
Now you are ready to see the wine. Swirl the wines around in their glasses. Look at the color against a white piece of paper. You can compare the color of each wine, and the depth of the color by how far to the edges the color runs. Also observe the "legs". That's the individual drippings going back down the inside of glass. The slower and thicker, the more sugar your can expect.
Step6
Now you are ready to smell the wines. go from wine to wine and smell each wine. try to detect any difference and see what each reminds you of (smell or taste).
Step7
Now you are ready to taste the wines. Take a glass, swirl it a bit, give it a whiff, now your senses have been teased enough. So go ahead and indulge yourself. take a nice "bite" of the wine. Swirl it now around your tongue and your palate. Get it all in. See again if you can close your eyes and remember what tastes it reminds you of.
Step8
Go to the next wine and again go through the same procedure. Having both wines next to each other should help you extract major differences. Repeat steps 7 and 8 a few times. Simple fruit character should now come out. Every once in a while stop and smell the cheese! Have some awith bread to give your palate a rest. Start on the wine again. You will discover different aspects of the wine after the fat of the cheese and its sweetness.
Step9
You've done it. Now get yourself a date you are ready to impress and enjoy your wine more and more. Once you feel confident you can move to wines that are closer in character. eventually you will be able to feel the difference in "terroir " when tasting same grapes from different regions.
Step10
One final note about wine tasting. Go learn about local wines. Small wineries are great to visit and you will meet the winemakers themselves. They know their stuff and love what they do.
Step11
Once you feel comfortable start enjoying your wine with good food and good friends.
Enthusiast
Now you are ready to pour the wines. Pour a small serving of each wine in a separate glass. Glass should be a clear wine glass preferably, not colored.
