The best of 2020 Wine Tasting Tips

I consider the best of 2020 wine tasting tips, the articles that captured the most attention and engagement from my readers.

The end of the year is an opportunity to reflect on what was on point and what was not useful to you, wine enthusiasts reading my weekly newsletter.

The tasting tips I send you aim to demystify wine tasting, continue to build your wine knowledge, and enhance your tasting skills.

Among the tips I shared in 2020, these five articles have received your attention more than the others. Four of them explored a particular wine aroma, and I take it to indicate your strong interest in this topic.

Here are the best of 2020 tips

1-What Do We Know About Pinot Noir Aromas?  

The aromas of a Pinot Noir wine are complex. Contrary to other grape varieties like Chardonnay, Pinot noir wines reveal several varietal aromas. I have often heard grape growers call Pinot Noir, the "heartbreaking" variety. That's true; it takes a lot of love to grow a Pinot Noir vineyard.

The grape berries have thin skin, making them sensitive to disease. Although mostly grown in cool climate regions, the grapevines do not resist well to frost. 

 It takes a lot of care to get a decent crop of fruits at the end of the growing season. Nonetheless, grape growers and winemakers love this variety because it produces wines with complex aromas.

I added a free resource for you to download. 

<READ MORE>

2-What Does ‘Corked Wine’ Mean? 

While tasting a corked wine is a rare event nowadays, it still happens. Learn how to detect this off-flavor and what to do with the faulty bottle.

A free PDF is also available to download.

<READ MORE>

3-The One Aroma Compound Behind Peppery Wines. 

Peppery wines exhibit a spicy flavor, reminiscent of black pepper, but without the pungency of pepper. Although perceiving pepper in red wine might be unexpected, it is a characteristic of many cool-climate red wines. 

Gamay wines from Beaujolais or Ontario and Syrah wines from Côtes du Rhône usually have this typical black pepper note, well blended with other aromas. Certain Australian Shiraz wines also have this peppery note in their profiles. 

But what is the origin of the black paper aroma in wine? 

<READ MORE>

4-What Is That Petrol Smell in Your Wine? 

A petrol smell in wine does not necessarily mean the wine is spoiled. It might just come from the grape variety. Aged Riesling wines are well known for exhibiting a hint of petrol aroma. <READ MORE>

5-The Best Temperature to Store and Serve wine.

Choosing the wine temperature to store or serve wine can be a conundrum.

While you may have learned that you should serve white wines chilled and reds at room temperature, new wine styles are challenging this recommendation.

Let see what the science and experts say.

<READ MORE>

I hope you will enjoy discovering or re-discovering the best of 2020 Wine Tasting Tips.

Let me know below what topics you'd like to read about in 2021.

Published December 31, 2020