To swirl or not to swirl? It’s a question that puzzles wine drinkers around the world. 

Beyond looking sophisticated, there’s actually a real science to swirling wine. 

Here are the three top things you need to know the next time you give your wine a twirl. 

1. Every breath you take, every move you make

By swirling wine it ‘gives life’ to the flavours through aeration, which simply means exposing the wine to more oxygen. 

“Swirling the glass is actually going to release some of those aroma compounds,” says Omrah Winemaker Chris Murtha. 

“It’s really just lifting those aromatics out of the wine.”

2. Sniffing around for flavour

Once the aromatics are ‘set free’, it helps to release more distinct flavours. 

You’d be forgiven for thinking taste is all in the mouth, but smell actually has a lot to do with the process too. 

It’s been said at least 75 per cent of taste is actually derived from our sense of smell. 

So stick your nose in there and give it a good sniff (post swirl, of course).

3. It’s just a flick of the wrist

There can be a real technique to the wine swirl.

First tip: place the glass on the table, it helps control the swirling motion so you keep the building swell of wine in its glass. For the real pros, hold the base down between your middle and index finger. 

“Swirling is also about appreciating a wine in its entirety. The experience isn’t just tasting the wine but also the aroma and appreciating its appearance,” says Chris. 

So give it a try next time you’re out tasting wine with friends, you’ll make waves with your wine knowledge.