What is a Blind Wine Tasting?

Blind tasting consists of tasting a series of wines whose identity has been concealed. As with any tasting, the essential steps in evaluating a wine are followed. That is to say, visual examination, olfactory examination, then gustatory examination, before drawing a conclusion on the level of quality of the product, as well as on its ageing potential.

There are several ways to hide the bottle. The use of black socks to hide the bottles is probably the most common practice. For the more challenging wine lover, black glasses are another option. However, the latter technique does not allow for visual analysis, and thus for commenting on the colour of the wine or the intensity of the colour. The challenge is therefore additional since, without the visual sense, it can be difficult to differentiate a red wine from a rosé!

Although in principle completely objective, blind tasting has its limits. Left to their senses, tasters analyse the wine on the basis of what they observe, smell and taste. All this information is then sent to the brain for analysis and potential identification of a complex product.

Taste is actually formed mentally. The image of the wine that the brain sends back is influenced by sight, by the setting of the tasting, as well as by the taster's taste references. Recent studies (2009) conducted in California by an American researcher Robert Hodgson have shown that blind tasting has its limits.

At the famous California State Fair, an annual showcase of California industry and agriculture (including viticulture), the results of a surprising study shocked wine lovers. In a blind tasting, the same wine was served three times. Of the sixty or so wine professionals who took part in the tasting, only 10% of them gave the same wine a similar score. Even more shocking, 10% of the tasters in this same group would have described one of the three glasses as mediocre, whereas they would have awarded a gold medal to a glass containing the same wine a few minutes earlier!

The French National Institute of Agronomic Research (INRA) has also taken an interest in the phenomenon. In another study conducted this time on eonology students, the same white wine was poured into two different glasses. One of them was given red food colouring with neutral organoleptic properties. Neither the aromas on the nose, nor the flavours or texture on the palate would have been modified. However, the students described the artificially coloured wine as a red wine! They mentioned aromas of red fruit, blackcurrant and black cherry, when in fact it was not! Is the taste of wine just a cognitive construct?

Despite its limitations, blind tasting remains the ideal option for objectively assessing the quality of a wine. Although it can be a considerable challenge for beginners, this type of tasting is the best way for wine professionals to measure their knowledge and assess their level of understanding of the product.

However, there are a few tips to help you carry out a blind tasting in the best conditions, for the most accurate results possible:

1. The perfect time: late afternoon or early evening. The palate is therefore not influenced by the taste of the food it would have tasted at lunch or dinner.
2. Provide pieces of bread for tasting: not only is bread beneficial for cleansing the palate, its neutral aromas will not disturb those of the wine.
3. Avoid smoking before or during tasting: smoking inhibits or distorts the aromas and flavours of the wine, making it difficult to decipher them.
4. Taste in a scent-free place: forget the kitchen or even the dining room for your blind tasting. The smells of cooking, spices and food may influence you and disturb your olfactory and taste analysis.
5. Avoid perfume: perfume or deodorant with strong notes may mask or even distort the aromas of the wine.
6. A glass of lemon juice before the tasting: the ultimate tip! Before your blind tasting, drink a small glass of water mixed with squeezed lemon juice. The strong acidity of the fruit will make you salivate, further preparing your palate for the tasting.