I’ve been thinking about the best way to record tasting notes. I’ve tried various methods without satisfaction and want your opinion and advice.
Why
There are numerous motivations for keeping tasting notes. One of the primary reasons is that wine is one of the most complex consumables. There are thousands of producers from all over the world. Each has grapes from a unique terroir and vintage (or a combination in Non Vintage wines). They then blend and make wine using different approaches. All these factors and more (grape varietals, hybrids, time of harvest, weather, etc.) combine to make for a dizzying array of outcomes in the bottle. Thus, whether you are trying to figure out your favorite producer, varietal, vintage, food pairings or produce reviews (to share) of individual bottles, it can be important to keep a record of your impressions.
What
So what do you record? I’ve seen people note the mundane and the unusual (check out VINEgeek’s free association notes). I usually note the following:
- bottle labeling (year, winery, name, grape varietals, etc.)
- enclosure (cork, screw-cap, etc.)
- color in the glass
- breathing time and how (decanted or not)
- aromas
- flavors
- price
- availability (where can it be purchased)
- rating
Where
Where do you take notes? There are a lot of different situations in which you might be tasting wine and each of these could be suitable for recording notes. Some that general take place are:
- at home without guests (dining or not)
- at a vineyard’s tasting room
- in a restuarant (casual, formal or a wine bar)
- social situations (dining with friends, tasting parties, etc.)
Different settings determine what you note and how you record it. For example, at a tasting party with friends you might all be recording your thoughts about various wines (which is good because you might get to taste more wines and also might pick out or identify more aromas and flavors). Whereas a anniversary date with your significant other at a formal restaurant can limit your ability to record and note.
How
How do you record your tasting notes? I’ve tried various methods including:
- memory — highly unreliable
- note pad — this works although it can be a bit inconvenient in some situations
- computer — this works, but definitely only works when at home and tasting alone or with other wine consumers
- smart phones — i’ve never tried it, but i am sure there is an app for that
How do you do it?
I’ve wondered if a checklist of possibilities would be helpful in some situations. My optimal way to collect notes is to record them directly into this blog as a review via my laptop and have others around me making their observations at the same time. But the conditions for doing that are rare. So, what methods do you use and recommend? Which ones do you recommend against? What is the most fun way to do it? After all, this should be an enjoyable activity!
For a deeper discussion of the Why take notes and What to note, see the Wine Tastings Guide site.
