How to enjoy natural wine without overthinking it
Tasting a wine isn’t about saving 95-point tasting notes in a Moleskine notebook. It’s simply paying attention to what you’re drinking — looking, smelling, tasting — with a bit of method to get more pleasure out of it. With natural wine more than anywhere else, every glass tells a story: a terroir, a vintage, a way of doing things. Here is how to listen to it, without overthinking it.
Why "tasting" rather than just "drinking"?
Drinking is swallowing. Tasting is noticing. The difference doesn't come from an expert posture — it comes from the attention you pay to the wine during the first 5 seconds in the glass. Once acquired, this attention becomes a reflex. And it transforms every glass into a full-fledged experience rather than just an accompaniment.
Natural wines, in particular, deserve this attention. They are more varied, more expressive, and more likely to surprise you than a standardized wine. A schist Gamay tastes like nothing else but itself. A long-maceration orange wine can evolve in the glass for an hour. This complexity is precisely what natural winemakers work for — you might as well enjoy it.
The eye: the first piece of information
Before smelling or tasting, look at the wine in the glass, preferably against a white or light background. Three things to observe:
- The color: an intense violet red suggests a young, fruity wine. A garnet red with tawny highlights evokes an older or oxidative wine. A deep golden white can indicate good maturity or oak aging. An amber orange wine reveals its skin maceration.
- The appearance: brilliant (a sign of freshness and acidity), dull (sometimes a sign of fatigue), or slightly veiled (lack of filtration — common in natural wine, with no impact on taste).
- The tears (or legs): these streaks that run down the sides of the glass after swirling. Thick, slow-moving tears signal a wine that is higher in alcohol or sugar. Fine, rapid tears suggest a light and fresh wine. This is useful information, not a quality criterion.
The nose: the richest part
80% of what we perceive as "taste" actually passes through the nose. This is the part of tasting that requires the most concentration — and yields the most pleasure once you get used to it.
The two-step method:
- First nose (without swirling the glass): the most volatile and light aromas rise spontaneously. Look for the first impressions — fruity, floral, spicy, mineral. Don't force it, just receive it.
- Second nose (after swirling the wine in the glass): the movement releases the more complex aromas trapped in the wine. This is often where things get interesting — notes of forest floor, leather, spices, and nuts appear. Smell immediately after you stop swirling.
To understand why aromas continue to evolve even after the glass is set down, our article why wine aromas evolve in the glass explains the mechanism.
The palate: confirming and discovering
Take a sip — not too small, not too large — and hold it for a few seconds in your mouth before swallowing. Five elements to observe:
- The attack: the first impression on the palate. Fresh? Round? Slightly bitter? It’s the initial contact with acidity and fruit.
- The body: is the wine light (think flavored water) or dense (think something fleshy, "chewy")? The body depends on alcohol, tannins, and overall texture.
- The tannins: this slightly drying sensation on the gums and the inside of the cheeks. Present in reds and orange wines. Fine? Rough? Absent? Tannins provide a wine’s structure.
- The acidity: perceived as salivation under the tongue and on the sides of the mouth. High acidity = lively, tense, fresh wine. Low acidity = rounder, less dynamic wine.
- The finish: how long do the aromas linger in the mouth after swallowing? A few seconds (short finish), 10-15 seconds (good length), 30 seconds or more (exceptional finish). The finish is often the best indicator of a wine’s complexity.
The four details that change everything
A good tasting often comes down to simple adjustments before even opening the BIB:
- The right glass: a glass that is too narrow closes off aromas; one that is too wide disperses them. Our article how to choose your wine glass guides you toward the right choice based on the style of wine.
- The right temperature: a red served too warm tastes of alcohol; a white served too cold smells like nothing. Our article wine serving temperature gives the real rules, by style.
- Decanting: some natural wines need to breathe before revealing all their aromas. A wine that seems closed or austere upon opening can reveal itself to be completely different 20 minutes later. Our article to decant or not to decant explains when it’s useful.
- Vocabulary: if tasting terms seem abstruse, our tasting glossary translated into plain French demystifies the most common words.
Tasting natural wine in a BIB: some specificities
A BIB allows you to taste the same wine over several weeks. It’s a unique opportunity: you can observe how the wine evolves over time, glass after glass. A natural wine that seemed closed when you first opened the BIB may prove much more expressive two weeks later — the yeasts settle, the wine "finds its seat." This is one of the joys of the BIB that a bottle doesn't offer. Discover our selection of natural wines in BIB.
Frequently asked questions about tasting
Should you spit when tasting?
Professionals always spit so they can remain clear-headed through many wines. At home, with a glass or two — there’s no obligation. The important thing is to keep all your attention on the wine, which is harder if you’ve had several glasses in a row. If you are tasting several wines in comparison, spitting allows you to remain objective until the very last glass.
Is it mandatory to use a specific wine glass?
No — but a good versatile glass really changes the experience. A water glass or even a mustard glass will do in an emergency. A well-designed universal wine glass (wide bowl, slightly tapered opening) is a modest investment that improves every tasting. Our article how to choose your wine glass explains why shape matters.
Are natural wines harder to taste than classic wines?
Different, not necessarily harder. Natural wines are often more expressive, more varied, and less calibrated — which requires more attention but also offers more to discover. A natural wine can evolve spectacularly in the glass, surprise you with unexpected aromas, or prove radically different at 10°C versus 15°C. That is precisely what makes tasting them so exciting.