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Vineyard land · Pauillac≈$2,798,250 a hectare▼ down 17% on 20232024Opening price · Château Lafite Rothschild 2025≈$376 a bottle▲ up 17% on the year beforeSold at auction · Romanée-Conti Grand Cru, DRC 2019$22,917 a bottleSotheby's, Sep 2026Cost to make one bottle · Burgundy grand cru (Pinot Noir)$48–283US duty on wine from · Canada+50%since Aug 2026Everyday bottle in a US shop$13.77 a litre▼ down 1.3% in a yearSep 2026Vineyard land · Margaux≈$1,567,020 a hectare▼ down 7% on 20232024Opening price · Château Cheval Blanc 2025≈$376 a bottle▲ up 22% on the year beforeSold at auction · La Tâche Grand Cru, DRC 2018$5,417 a bottleSotheby's, Sep 2026Cost to make one bottle · Champagne prestige cuvée$26–89US duty on wine from · Australia+12.5%since Jul 2026Vineyard land · Côte-Rôtie≈$1,511,055 a hectare▲ up 8% on 20232024Opening price · Château Mouton Rothschild 2025≈$336 a bottle▲ up 19% on the year beforeSold at auction · Richebourg Grand Cru, DRC 2012$3,542 a bottleSotheby's, Sep 2026Cost to make one bottle · Bordeaux classified growth (2nd–5th)$17–61US duty on wine from · New Zealand+12.5%since Jul 2026Vineyard land · Côte de Nuits grand cru≈$7,275,450 a hectare2019Opening price · Château Palmer 2025≈$268 a bottle▼ down 19% on the year beforeVineyard land · Pomerol≈$2,238,600 a hectare2023
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How to taste wine without feeling silly

Four small steps: look, swirl, sniff, sip. They take ten seconds and they really do make a glass more interesting.

4 min read · For beginners

How to taste wine without feeling silly

1. Look

Tilt the glass over something white. A pale red is usually lighter in taste and a dark one fuller. A white that is deep gold is often older, sweeter or aged in oak.

A hand tilting a glass of red wine over a white napkin

2. Swirl

Keep the base of the glass on the table and draw small circles. Swirling mixes in air and lifts the smells out of the wine. This is the only reason people do it.

A hand swirling red wine with the base of the glass flat on the table

3. Sniff

Put your nose right in the glass and take a short sniff. Most of what we call taste is really smell. You do not need fancy words. Ask yourself one question: fruit, flowers, spice, or something earthy?

A person with their nose in a glass of white wine

4. Sip

Take a sip and let it sit on your tongue for a second or two. Then notice four things.

  • Sweetness. Is there any sugar, or is it dry?
  • Acidity. Does it make your mouth water, like lemonade? That is acidity, and it makes wine feel fresh.
  • Tannin. Does it dry your gums, like strong tea? That is tannin, found mostly in reds.
  • Body. Does it feel light like skimmed milk, or heavy like cream?
A glass of red wine beside sugar cubes, a cut lemon, a cup of black tea and a small jar of cream
Sugar, lemon, strong tea and cream. The four things to notice in a sip.

Then the only question that matters

Do you like it? Nobody can answer that for you, and there are no wrong answers. If you remember which grape and which place you enjoyed, you already know how to find your next bottle.

Two glasses with a last sip of red wine on a table at the end of dinner

Smells of vanilla, toast or coconut usually come from the oak barrel, not the grape.

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