How to develop your palate

The quick answer

Developing your palate means getting better at noticing, comparing, remembering and describing what you experience in wine. It is not a fixed talent, a test of sophistication or a competition to identify every grape variety and region blind.

The most useful practice is simple: taste small amounts attentively, compare wines side by side, use a few clear words, write down what you notice and revisit your observations. You do not need to drink more wine to improve. You need to pay closer attention to the wine you taste.

People can experience the same wine differently, so your description does not have to match somebody else’s. The goal is clearer observation and greater confidence—not a “correct” answer.

What does “palate” mean?

In everyday wine conversation, your palate is your practical ability to notice and describe a wine’s smell, flavour, structure and texture. It is different from your preference.

You might dislike a wine but still be able to describe its acidity, body or aromas. Equally, enjoying a wine does not mean you need to call it complex or identify where it was made. Liking wine is personal; sensory observation is a skill you can practise.

A useful tasting separates several observations:

• Aroma: what you smell before and after swirling.
• Sweetness: whether the wine tastes dry, slightly sweet or sweet.
• Acidity: the fresh, mouth-watering quality that can make a wine feel lively.
• Body: how light or full the wine feels in your mouth.
• Tannin: the drying or grippy sensation often found in red wine.
• Alcohol: warmth or heat, if it is noticeable.
• Flavour: fruit, floral, herbal, spicy or savoury impressions.
• Texture: whether the wine feels smooth, crisp, creamy, firm or coarse.
• Finish: the sensations that remain after you swallow or spit.

You do not need to assess everything perfectly. Start with what is easiest to notice, then add detail gradually.

A repeatable practice session

You can practise at home with two wines and a small amount of preparation.

1. Choose a useful comparison

Pick two wines with one clear point of difference. For example, you could compare:

• two contrasting Australian Chardonnay styles;
• Riesling and Shiraz;
• a lighter-bodied wine with a fuller-bodied wine;
• two wines made from the same variety in different styles.

The purpose is not to decide which is better. Ask what differs, which feature is more noticeable and how you would describe that difference.

2. Make the conditions reasonably consistent

Use clean, similar glasses and a room without strong perfumes, candles or cooking smells. Pour small samples, keep water nearby and avoid tasting when you are already tired or overly full.

You do not need laboratory conditions. The point is simply to reduce distractions and make the comparison fairer. Taste the wines in the same setting and, where possible, at a similar temperature.

3. Taste in stages

Look briefly at the wine if appearance is relevant. Smell it before swirling, then smell it again after swirling. Begin with a broad impression—fruit, floral, herbal, spicy or savoury—before searching for a very specific aroma.

Take a small sip and consider structure before flavour. Does it feel dry or sweet? Fresh or soft? Light or full? Smooth or grippy? Then consider the flavour impressions and finish.

Taste the second wine, return to the first and compare them directly. A short break and a second taste can reveal details you missed initially.

4. Record observations

Try this short template:

• Wine and date:
• First aroma:
• Other aromas:
• Sweetness:
• Acidity:
• Body:
• Tannin, if relevant:
• Alcohol warmth:
• Main flavour impressions:
• Texture:
• Finish:
• The clearest difference:
• What I am unsure about:

Writing “I’m not sure” is useful. It records a question to revisit rather than forcing a confident-sounding answer.

Build a library of familiar smells

Wine descriptors work by comparison with memory. Smell ordinary ingredients when you encounter them: lemon, lime, apple, pear, berries, fresh herbs, black pepper, cinnamon, toast, vanilla, nuts, tea, cocoa or dried fruit.

This does not mean the wine literally contains those ingredients. Saying that a wine reminds you of lemon or spice is a way to communicate resemblance.

You can make this exercise part of daily life without opening a bottle. Smell a bunch of herbs while cooking. Notice the difference between a fresh apple and dried apple. Compare black pepper with cinnamon. These reference points give your memory more material to draw on when you taste wine later.

Aroma wheels can also provide prompts, but they are not universal maps of what every person must smell. Use them to explore possibilities, not to overrule your own observation.

Compare without anxiety

Another taster’s descriptor is not automatically more correct than yours. People vary in their sensitivity to aroma and flavour compounds, and memory also influences the words they choose.

If one person smells citrus and another smells flowers, that does not necessarily mean one of them is failing. Ask whether both tasters are noticing a similar general quality, then discuss what led each person to choose their word.

Education, tastings and conversations can expand your vocabulary. Treat them as invitations to notice more, not as a hierarchy of expertise. Over time, you may move from “fruity” to “citrus”, then perhaps to “lemon peel” or “ripe lime”. The more precise word is useful only when it genuinely matches your experience.

Measure progress in a practical way

You are making progress when you can:

• notice a difference more quickly;
• explain what the difference feels or smells like;
• use a more specific word when one is appropriate;
• describe uncertainty without feeling embarrassed;
• remember a wine’s broad character later;
• compare two wines without immediately relying on their labels.

You do not need to identify the grape, region, vintage or price. Blind tasting can be an optional game, but it is not the proof of a good palate. Observation is more valuable than guessing.

Revisit your notes after a break or on another day. You may notice that your first impression changes, or that a word you used was too broad. That is part of learning.

Practise responsibly

Focused tasting does not require finishing every pour. You can spit or discard wine, take breaks and participate without drinking. Water is useful, and alcohol-free participation is entirely valid.

Do not treat Australian low-risk drinking guidance as a tasting target. The Australian Government defines a standard drink as 10 grams of pure alcohol and advises healthy adults who drink to have no more than 10 standard drinks per week and no more than four on any one day to reduce risk; less alcohol means lower risk.

If you are driving, do not drink. Drink-driving rules vary according to licence status, and learner and provisional drivers must have a zero blood alcohol concentration. Never use a drink-count estimate to decide whether it is safe to drive.

If you experience a persistent or sudden change in your sense of smell or taste, speak with an appropriate health professional rather than trying to diagnose the cause yourself.

Frequently asked questions

How often should I practise?

There is no necessary number of tastings or guaranteed timetable. Short, attentive comparisons are more useful than drinking more often without paying attention.

Do I need expensive wine?

No. The learning value comes from having a clear comparison and observing carefully. Price is not a test of sensory ability.

Should I taste blind?

Only if you find it enjoyable or useful. Covering the labels can reduce the influence of expectations, but blind tasting is optional and does not define success.

Why do I smell something different from my friends?

People vary in sensory sensitivity, memory and vocabulary. Different descriptions can be honest observations of the same wine.

What should I do if I cannot smell much?

Do not force an answer or treat the exercise as a test. Start with broad descriptions such as fresh, fruity, savoury or spicy, and focus on what you can notice in the wine’s structure and texture.

The simplest habit to start tonight

Choose two wines, pour small amounts and write one sentence about the clearest difference between them. Taste again after a short break. Repeat the exercise when convenient, using different contrasts and familiar reference points.

That is palate development in practical terms: not drinking more, but noticing more.