What is a horizontal tasting and a vertical tasting?

As we have already explained in previous entries of our blog, the so-called wine tasting or tasting is the perfect time for all participants to appreciate the qualities of each product, while collecting their different impressions and assigning a certain score individually. In addition, thanks to the boom experienced by the wine industry in recent decades, there are also training, tourism and for customers who do not necessarily have to be experts in the subject, but simply enjoy their consumption. Therefore, it is necessary to differentiate between professional wine tastings and those that are specifically made for end consumers and amateurs.

In this sense, if we focus on the professional aspect, wine tasting is a very useful tool for the wineries themselves, since through it they can control the compliance of the quality in the different phases of production, as well as the decision and the way to market.

However, it is not the only environment in which this process takes place. For example, wine growers also organize tastings with the objective of knowing the state of the grape, in particular, or the vineyard, in general; and most of the wine distributors, who are also encouraged to do so, in this case, just before bottling and putting into operation all the links of the sales model.

What is a horizontal tasting?

In the first place, it is necessary to know that a horizontal tasting is one that consists of tasting several wines, from different wineries, although with the condition that they are from the same vintage and from the same denomination of origin. In addition, those that are made with the same variety of grape are chosen for its development.

The objective of this process is clear: to analyze how each of them has evolved and in what way the microclimate of each winery influences in the achievement of its flavor.

Generally, this type of tasting is usually organized by the regulatory councils to analyze if each wine meets the formal requirements previously established. However, the wineries themselves also join these practices to compare directly with the wines produced by the rest of the companies competing in their closest environment.

As for their regularity, they are called periodically and for this, each winery is asked for a certain amount of wine from the vat or boot, corresponding to a specific vintage.

Vertical tasting: what is it?

Unlike the previous one, its purpose is to taste the different vintages of the same wine. In this way, having clear what the year of production of each bottle was, a relationship can be established about how the climate has progressively affected each barrel, tank or boot.

For example, in a vertical tasting you can taste the years 2003, 2004 and 2005 of the same wine, and from there, you come to the firm conclusion about the influence of the various external factors in relation to the quality of each vintage.

The most usual is that this method of tasting is requested by the Regulatory Council, although it is also the winery itself responsible for carrying it out, especially if you want to know those aspects that must be corrected to achieve the best possible results.

In general, a vertical tasting focuses not so much on the taste of the wine, but on much more technical aspects. In fact, the reports that are prepared after each of them are very exhaustive and include detailed information, with great care. The important thing is that it is always clear how each wine can evolve in the bottle itself and the necessary improvements in the form of production to achieve a reference product.