You might think knowing how to sip wine comes naturally – but methodical, professional-style tasting will take your knowledge and enjoyment to the next level and open up a world of appreciation.

Follow our guide to the five wine tasting steps – see, swirl, sniff, sip and savor – and you'll soon be tasting like an expert. Notebooks at the ready

To explore the depths and nuances of exceptional CHANDON wines, there’s an approach that can help you out called the "5 S's": See, Swirl, Sniff, Sip, and Savor. Each step plays a vital role in understanding a wine's character, origin, and potential. Let’s look at the 5 S’s through the lens of the CHANDON étoile Rosé and see what we can uncover at each step.


SEE


SEE

To gauge a wine’s true color, look in natural light with a white background. Look for color, then look for tone. If your rosé looks bright pink, it’s likely young and fruity. Does it have a copper or salmon hue? This hints at longer aging and more time spent in your cellar. Take note of the étoile Rosé’s vibrant salmon pink color, indicating bright fruit flavors and deep complexity due to longer aging sur lie (on the lees).

SWIRL


We swirl wine to make aromas and flavors more pronounced to our senses. Swirling aerates the wine, allowing gentle evaporation and oxidation to “open up” the wine, exposing different flavor and aroma components. 


However, in sparkling wine, the individual bubbles bursting on the surface do all of the work for you, although many of us do it out of habit.





SNIFF


SNIFF

Sniffing isn’t an exact science. The aromas you pick up vary based on the angle and fill of the glass, the height of your nose above it, and the duration and volume of each sniff. If you’re consistent each time you inhale, you’ll eliminate as many external variables as possible and reveal the wine’s subtleties.


The étoile Rosé is defined by its fruit and spice aromas: fresh plum, dried apricot, and blackcurrant balanced with nutmeg and cocoa powder notes.

SIP


Small sips with a brief pause on the palate are ideal for allowing the wine to warm slightly and release aromatic compounds into your olfactory passages. At formal tastings, you may hear nearby tasters “slurping”––they’re aerating the wine to open it up a bit more. Isn’t necessary with sparkling wine, as the bursting bubbles accomplish this (just like they do on the nose), but it can enhance the flavors and be a fun, new method to try.


Étoile’s signature is in its elegance and balance: fruity and complex with delicate finesse yet intense flavor.






SAVOR


SAVOR

A wine’s finish is how long the flavors linger on your palate and how they develop after you swallow. Savor how the notes evolve, how long they last, and if there’s a balance of complex textures and flavors. 


Generally, high-quality wines have longer, more complex finishes. The étoile Rosé is no exception. Its long, perfumed finish is rich enough to match several dishes.


The étoile Rosé is incredibly versatile on the table. We love to pair it with ahi tuna, duck-fat fries, and heirloom beet salad.