Keep enough information to find the bottle
Begin with the producer, wine name and vintage if available. Add when you tried it and the food or occasion. For a remembered wine, say that you are working from memory. For an exercise, mark it as fictional.
Choose two or three observations that actually stood out. Add sweetness, acidity, tannin and body where you can. You may leave uncertain fields open. A note does not need to sound like a professional review.
Separate observation from preference
'Noticeable acidity' describes a sensation. 'I enjoyed its freshness with dinner' describes your response. Both are useful, and keeping them separate helps you compare later.
You might dislike a well-made wine or enjoy a simple one. Your journal can focus on what you would buy again, when you would serve it and what you would change next time.
Make the next note easier
Finish with a small question. For example: 'Would I prefer a less grippy red?' On another occasion, compare a wine chosen to explore that question with the earlier note.
Here is a fictional note: 'Lee's red, tasted with tomato pasta. Red-cherry aroma, noticeable freshness, little grip and a light feel. I liked it with dinner. Next time I want to compare a fuller red.' It records enough to guide another choice without claiming more than Lee noticed.
Put it into practice
Check your understanding
Use Lee's fictional tasting, a memory or a wine of your own. Include identity or scenario, two observations, your preference and one next question.
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More tasting-note examplesSources behind the lesson
WSET: an introduction to tasting wineThe explanations and exercises are original Corkly material. Examples marked fictional describe invented tastings.