01
Wine identity
Producer, wine name, grape or style, region, and vintage when known.
Wine tasting guide
Wine tasting notes
What to record so you remember the wine
A useful wine tasting note records the bottle, the moment, a few aromas, the wine's structure, the finish, and whether you would drink it again. Keep it short enough to write and specific enough to help your future self.
Best short answer
Write for your future self, not for a wine critic
The best note answers three questions: What did I notice? How did the wine feel? Would I choose it again? The producer's description can add context after you have recorded your own impression.
A complete note
Eight useful fields
02
Context
Where you tasted it, what you ate, who you were with, and serving temperature.
03
Appearance
One useful color phrase, such as pale lemon, ruby, garnet, or deep purple.
04
Aromas
Two to four honest clues grouped broadly as fruit, floral, herbal, earthy, spicy, or oaky.
05
Palate
What the flavors became after the sip and whether they matched the smell.
06
Structure
Sweetness, acidity, tannin, body, and alcohol using simple low-medium-high scales.
07
Finish
What remained after the sip and whether it disappeared quickly or stayed.
08
Your decision
A rating, whether you would drink it again, and the occasion or food it suits.
The one-minute tasting note
Use this when a long tasting grid feels like homework. Fill each line with the first accurate words that come to mind.
Need help with acidity, tannin, body, or finish? Open the wine glossary.
Wine: [name, grape/style, vintage]
Where: [place, food, people]
Smells like: [2-4 honest clues]
Feels: [dry/sweet, acidity, tannin, body]
Finish: [short/medium/long + final flavor]
Again? [yes/no + the occasion]
Plain-English examples
Two notes that are specific without being fussy
Crisp Sauvignon Blanc
Pale lemon. Smells like grapefruit, lime, and cut grass. Dry, light-bodied, and very mouthwatering, with a short citrus finish. I would drink it again with goat cheese, seafood, or a hot afternoon.
Why it works: It records aroma, structure, finish, and a repeatable use case without pretending to know the exact region.
Soft Pinot Noir
Light ruby. Cherry, raspberry, dried leaves, and a little spice. Dry and light-bodied, with bright acidity and soft tannin. I liked the silky texture and would order it again with roast chicken or mushrooms.
Why it works: It separates what the wine smelled like from how it felt and ends with a clear preference.
Paper notebook or tasting app?
Paper is best for staying present
- No screen during the tasting
- Easy sketches and shorthand
- A satisfying physical ritual
An app is best for building memory
- Searchable bottle history
- Consistent prompts while tasting
- Patterns across ratings and preferences
How to organize notes so they teach you something
Keep the same fields for every wine. Consistency lets you compare Chardonnay with Chardonnay, notice whether you repeatedly enjoy high acidity, and remember which food or occasion made a bottle work.
Search by grape, region, rating, descriptor, and whether you would drink the wine again. The goal is not a perfect archive. It is a memory that helps you choose the next bottle with more confidence.
Wine tasting notes FAQ
What should a beginner include in wine tasting notes?
Record the wine identity, context, appearance, main aromas, palate, structure, finish, and your personal decision. You can capture all eight in a few sentences.
How long should a wine tasting note be?
A useful beginner note is usually two to five sentences. It should help your future self remember the wine and decide whether to drink or buy something similar again.
Should I use a wine tasting app or a notebook?
Use the format you will actually revisit. Paper is fast and distraction-free. An app is easier to search, compare across tastings, attach to a bottle identity, and use for personalized learning over time.
How do I describe wine when I cannot identify aromas?
Start with broad categories and physical sensations. Fruity, herbal, earthy, crisp, creamy, light, rich, or drying are useful. You do not need to name a specific fruit for the note to be valid.
Save the learning
Finish with a note you can find again
Corkly turns a guided tasting into a saved artifact with your observations, learned descriptors, rating, and next-to-try guidance.
Further reading: WSET: Build wine tasting skills and WSET's systematic approach.