How to Improve Your Tasting Skills

Train smarter, not just more: here's how.

The answer to improving at wine tasting is, in principle, straightforward: practice. But,  and this is the key, there is practice, and then there is smart practice.

Think about running. If you sign up for a 10K and look up a training plan, you won't find a program that simply says "go for a jog every day." Every serious plan mixes long slow runs, interval training, hill sprints, and rest days. It's that variety that builds performance.

Wine tasting works exactly the same way.

Why variety is the foundation of wine tasting progress

Tasting the same type of wine repeatedly will sharpen your familiarity with that wine, but it won't make you a better taster overall. To truly progress, you need to vary your tasting formats, your appellations, and your approach.

Here are three training exercises that will genuinely move the needle.

Exercise 1: The horizontal tasting (same appellation, different producers)

A horizontal tasting means tasting several wines from the same appellation and the same vintage, but from different producers. You don’t need to do this the way a professional would with a selection of 10 wines: buying two or three bottles of Meursault (or any other Burgundy appellation) and tasting them side by side is already an enormously instructive exercise.

You will start to notice how the same terroir expresses itself differently depending on who is behind the winemaking. Style, texture, aromatic intensity: the differences can be surprising, even within a single village.

Don't feel pressured to start with expensive appellations

Burgundy has 84 appellations, which means you have an extraordinary playground available at every price point. Maranges, Santenay, Auxey-Duresses... these lesser-known appellations are just as educational as their prestigious neighbors, and considerably kinder to the wallet. Furthermore, tasting "simpler" wines is essential: they are the reference point that allows you to recognize complexity when you encounter it.

Exercise 2: The vertical tasting (same producer, different vintages)

A vertical tasting means comparing several vintages of the same wine from the same producer. Again, you don't need ten years of a Grand Cru to make this worthwhile. Two or three vintages of the same village wine from a winery you like will already reveal how a wine evolves: how fruit changes with age, how tannins soften, how secondary aromas develop. Many wineries can offer two or three different vintages from the same appellation if you ask them. It's worth trying.

Exercise 3: Climbing the hierarchy (Village, Premier Cru, Grand Cru)

The Burgundy wine hierarchy is one of the most detailed in the wine world. Tasting a village wine alongside a Premier Cru (and, in some cases, a Grand Cru) from the same commune is one of the most revealing exercises you can do.

You don't need Chambolle-Musigny to understand the difference

The difference in complexity and length on the palate between a village wine and a Premier Cru is just as perceptible in Givry as it is in Chambolle-Musigny, at a fraction of the price. Try a Givry alongside a Givry 1er Cru Clos Jus: the lesson will be clear, and your wallet will thank you.

A practical tool worth the investment: the Coravin

Burgundy wines are not always cheap, and you may wonder how to repeat these exercises without opening a new bottle every time. The answer is a Coravin: a device that uses a very fine needle to draw wine through the cork without opening the bottle, replacing the extracted wine with argon gas to preserve what remains for weeks or even months.

With a Coravin, you can pour just a few centiliters from three different Meursault, taste and compare them, and return to those same bottles a week later with fresh eyes. You will often notice things on the second tasting that you missed the first time: a nuance of texture, a detail in the finish, a note that was hiding behind the others.

Think of it like running gear. Any runner knows that a good pair of shoes, breathable shirts for summer, and warm layers for winter represent a real investment. But it's that equipment that makes training comfortable and consistent. The Coravin is your tasting kit.

Rest days matter: in running and in wine

Elite running coaches are unanimous: you should not run every day. Rest days allow the body to recover and adapt. The same principle applies to wine tasting.

The days between tasting sessions give your brain time to consolidate what it has experienced: to organize, compare, and integrate the sensory information it has received. Coming back to a wine after a few days of rest often reveals things you simply couldn't perceive when your palate was saturated.

Tasting smarter means knowing when not to taste.

Ready to train? with a coach?

If you would like to go further with a structured, personalized program, I would love to welcome you at Sensation Vin in Beaune, where every tasting session is designed as a genuine sensory journey, tailored to your level and your curiosity.

Whether you are a curious beginner or an experienced enthusiast, Burgundy has 84 appellations waiting to be explored, and I will make sure you explore them in the most rewarding order.

👉 Discover our private tasting classes at Sensation Vin

Céline Dandelot  - Wine Expert & Educator since 2002 — Beaune, Burgundy