“Knowing how to taste wine” Enrico Bernardo

After Best Sommelier of Italy in 20 years, Enrico Bernardo became World’s Best Sommelier in 2004 to 27 years. In writing this book, he wanted us to convey his passion for wine and some of his knowledge. In this context, the book is divided into two main parts: one on the art of wine tasting and a second where he reviewed the great vineyards of the world.

The approach of Enrico Bernardo tasting is particularly methodical and orderly, witness this long chapter on visual inspection, which opens the book. It is even rare to see this first phase of the tasting so finely detailed, a first phase that many amateurs tend to overlook (me included …)


The same thoroughness is reflected in the following phases, nose and mouth, where all the parameters involved are discussed methodically, sometimes by grape varietal (Enrico Bernardo, good Mediterranean, however, forgets to mention every time Chenin … !) His love of wine, however, is clearly visible when he allows himself more personal remarks on his vision of wine for example.

In the second half of the book, Enrico takes us around the world vineyards. For each of these regions, it also comments on one to three representative wines. The fact that Enrico Bernardo has selected the wines most often largely out of reach (financially) the average amateur can decrease the value of these reviews in the eyes of some. However, we rather see is his desire to better reflect the full potential of the terroirs he presents.

The book ends with a series of tips on serving and storing wine, about twenty pages on topics ranging from associations to the shape of the glass food and wine.

Here is a book geared more towards fans already initiated: no doubt they will find in methodology in the World’s Best Sommelier of interesting information to better appreciate the wines.