Building a wine tasting flight

Quick answer

To build a wine tasting flight, choose three to five wines that share a useful connection, such as grape variety, region, style or production method. Decide what you want to learn, then keep the main conditions consistent: use the same clean glasses, serve the wines at comparable temperatures and pour similar small amounts.

Arrange the wines broadly from less intense to more intense. This might mean lighter-bodied before fuller-bodied, lower-tannin before higher-tannin, or dry before sweet. It is a helpful convention, not a universal rule. Sparkling, highly aromatic, sweet and fortified wines may need a different position depending on the purpose of the tasting.

Taste each wine in the same way, make notes before discussing the wines and use water or a spittoon if appropriate. The aim is comparison, not finishing a set amount of alcohol.

Start with one comparison question

A flight works best when it answers a question. For example:

• How does the same grape vary between Australian regions?
• How does Chardonnay change between lighter and fuller styles?
• What difference does a production method make?
• How do different grape varieties affect body, aroma, acidity and tannin?

Try to change one main variable at a time. If the wines differ in grape, region, sweetness, age and winemaking method all at once, you may notice that they taste different without knowing why.

For a first flight, “same grape, different regions” is particularly straightforward. “Different grapes, similar style” can also work well, but requires a little more attention to the characteristics you are comparing.

Choose a manageable number of wines

Three wines are usually enough to reveal a pattern and are the easiest starting point. Four wines can work well for comparing two pairs, while five gives you more variation but demands more attention.

There is no official number of wines that every flight must contain. Three to five is a practical beginner recommendation. More wines create more possible comparisons, but fatigue, sensory adaptation and alcohol exposure also become more important.

Small pours make the exercise easier. You can taste, compare and spit rather than treating every sample as a normal glass of wine. A person can also take part without drinking.

Choose and arrange the wines

A useful default sequence is:

1. less aromatic or less intense;
2. lighter-bodied;
3. lower in tannin;
4. fuller, more powerful or more strongly flavoured;
5. sweeter or fortified, where that suits the flight.

These categories overlap, but they are not identical. A highly aromatic light-bodied wine may dominate a quieter fuller-bodied wine, for example. Consider the actual wines in front of you rather than following a rigid formula.

Sparkling wine often works early when the focus is freshness or delicacy. However, if the question is how sparkling wines differ by production method, keep the sparkling wines together. A strongly aromatic wine may be better after more neutral wines. Tannic reds generally make more sense after lighter, lower-tannin reds when you are comparing structure.

Sweet and fortified wines often work later in a mixed dry-wine flight, but they do not always have to be last. A dedicated sweet-wine or fortified-wine flight may use its own sequence.

Prepare the tasting

You do not need specialist equipment. Before pouring:

• use clean glasses of the same shape where possible;
• remove strong smells such as scented candles or cleaning products;
• prepare water and a neutral environment;
• have a spittoon or suitable container available;
• number the wines if that helps with order and note-taking;
• serve wines at comparable temperatures.

Consistent glassware is more useful than owning a different glass for every style. A clean, matching set helps you compare the wines rather than comparing the glasses. Exact serving temperatures are covered in Wine Serving Temperature Explained.

For a home flight, approximately 15–30 mL per wine is a conservative practical pour. This is not a universal standard, and it is different from technical sensory-evaluation serves. Australian wine labels show standard-drink information, so use the label rather than counting glasses when considering alcohol intake.

Taste each wine the same way

Use a simple repeated method:

1. Look at the wine if appearance is relevant.
2. Smell it before tasting.
3. Take a small sip.
4. Notice sweetness, acidity, body, flavour, tannin and finish where applicable.
5. Write down what you observe before hearing everyone else’s opinion.

You do not need impressive vocabulary. “More lemony”, “firmer”, “softer”, “lighter” or “lasts longer” are useful comparisons. For a fuller introduction to the tasting process, see How to Taste Wine.

Water helps with comfort and removes competing flavours, but it does not completely reset the palate. Pause when needed, and avoid strongly flavoured food during the comparison. Spitting is normal in a structured tasting and can help people assess several wines without drinking every pour.

A simple Australian example

Question: How does the same grape vary between Australian regions?

Choose three Australian Rieslings from different regions, without ranking them. Serve them in comparable conditions, use the same clean glasses and pour 15–30 mL of each.

Taste the wines from the least intense or freshest example towards the more aromatic or fuller-feeling example, if that reflects the wines you selected. Compare:

• aroma intensity;
• acidity and freshness;
• body;
• sweetness;
• length of finish.

The point is not to decide which region is “best”. It is to notice how regional style, vintage, alcohol level, residual sugar and winemaking choices may contribute to differences.

A similar flight could compare three Australian Chardonnays made in contrasting styles. Keep the question narrow enough that the differences remain discussable.

Flight versus blind tasting

A comparative flight may be fully labelled. Its purpose is to make differences easier to notice and discuss.

You can number the wines to keep the tasting orderly without making it blind. A blind tasting conceals the identity of one or more wines, usually by covering labels or using codes. Formal sensory evaluation can also control sample temperature, volume, glassware and presentation order.

A blind tasting is useful when you want to reduce the influence of expectations. It is different from a normal educational flight, and a casual home blind tasting does not need to follow a formal sensory-testing procedure. Learn more in Blind Tasting.

Drink responsibly

In Australia, a standard drink contains 10 grams of pure alcohol. It is not the same as a glass or tasting pour, because both serving size and wine strength vary. Australian Government guidance states that healthy adults who drink should have no more than 10 standard drinks per week and no more than four on any one day to reduce risk; the less alcohol consumed, the lower the risk.

DrinkWise gives the useful approximation that six 15 mL tasting pours equal about one standard drink, but this varies with alcohol strength and pour accuracy. Use the standard-drink information on the label as your main guide.

Pour small amounts, offer water and non-alcoholic alternatives, and never pressure anyone to taste or finish wine. Plan transport before drinking. People under 18 should not drink alcohol. The Australian Government advises people who are pregnant or planning pregnancy not to drink alcohol. Never drive after drinking.

FAQs

Does a wine flight have to contain a certain number of wines?

No. Three wines are a manageable starting point, while four or five can provide more contrast. The right number depends on the wines, the tasters and the purpose.

What is the best order for a wine flight?

A useful default is less intense to more intense, but there is no universally correct order. Consider aroma, body, tannin, sweetness, alcohol and the question you are asking.

Does numbering wines make a tasting blind?

No. Numbering helps with order and note-taking. A tasting is blind only when the identity of one or more wines is concealed from the taster.

Do I need a different glass for every wine?

No. Clean glasses of the same shape are often more useful for comparison than a collection of specialised glasses. For more detail, see Wine Glass Types Explained.

How much should I pour?

For a home flight, approximately 15–30 mL per wine is a conservative practical range. It is an adjustable suggestion, not a formal standard.