How to taste wine: Tips from a Vail sommelier

To get smart about wine, you need to develop your palate.

What to know: We turned to Vail Valley sommelier Kristin Hunter for advice. She makes wine under the label Shovel Blanc and offers expertise and experiences through her company, Lemon Rock.

• She shared these three tips with us about how to taste wine.

🥂 Build a wine flight: To learn the differences in varieties, build a flight with five to six that cover a broad spectrum. "I like to start with a really light white wine, then work up to a darker red and finish with champagne to cleanse the palate," Hunter says.

• For the advanced taster, get the same variety of wine from different regions, such as a pinot noir from Oregon, California and Burgundy, France.

🍷 Pro tip: "I find that when you're doing a wine tasting with people, it's helpful to have at least two glasses in front of you so you can go back and forth and compare and contrast," she says.

• And you need proper glassware: a wine glass that can accentuate the aromas.

👃 It's all about the aroma: "Smell is the most important thing," Hunter says. She recommends you swirl the wine and "get your nose into that glass." Then, she says, take a swig and spit so it covers every part of your mouth. See how it feels on your tongue and gums, she adds.

The bottom line: "Whenever you're in a tasting group, don't be shy. Say what's on your mind, even if it's a really wacky flavor, a nostalgic smell from childhood. It gets the group talking and excited about where the conversation can go," Hunter says.