How to Make a Wine Tasting Kit

Wonderful South African wines.

Wine tastings are a great way to learn about the different varietals of wine. The more you taste different kinds of wine, the more you learn.

Things You'll Need

• Two white wines Two red wines Four identical wine gift bags Four 3-inch-square sticky labels Pencils Pitcher Bottle of water Large vase Cork One wineglass per participant

Instructions

1. Prepare description sheets. Each sheet should have four sections marked A, B, C and D. Below each letter, leave about four lines for descriptions and a place to guess the varietal of the wine. Make a copy for each participant.

2. Print the letters A, B, C and D on each label (one letter per label). Place one label in a visible place on the outside of each gift bag.

3. Research the wine to find descriptions. You can ask the salesperson at a wine store or use the Internet to find out. Type each wine description and place it in the bag with the wine, so that tasters can compare their impressions of the wines with the descriptions.

4. When you're setting up for the wine tasting, place each wine in a labeled wine gift bag. Cork each one. Tasters should start on the left side with the lightest white wine, such as a pinot grigio or a sauvignon blanc and move right, ending with a heavier red wine such as an old-vine zinfandel. Fill the pitcher with water for people to clean their palates, and put the vase out for those who want to spit after tasting the wines. After participants taste each wine, have them fill out the tasting sheet and guess each varietal. At the end, show them the description sheet so they can compare notes, and remove the wine from the bags to reveal the varietals.

Tips & Warnings

• To learn more about tastings, visit wine events in your area.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Wine vocabulary