You may have heard the expressions "vertical tasting" and "horizontal tasting." But what is the difference? What is the advantage of each? Here is the explanation from three wine professionals.
What is a vertical tasting?
"In a vertical tasting, you taste the same wine from different years, usually from the same producer," says Ashley Brandner, director of hospitality at Gamble Family Vineyards in Napa, Calif. The brand produces a red blend called Paramount. Each year, depending on weather and other factors, it's a little different. "When you taste it over different vintages, it really shows the expression of the winemaker himself," she says.
"Another way to do a vertical tasting is to taste bottlings from different winemakers in the same region," says Evan Goldstein, president of Full Circle Wine Solutions and Master of the World. "You could look at Cabernet Sauvignons from Napa, or Malbecs from Argentina across different vintages."
"If possible, set up a vertical tasting with wines that span several years or even decades. The greater the time difference, the more meaningful the results will be, especially if the goal is to see how the wine will age," Goldstein says.
What is a horizontal tasting?
"The most common option is to choose one vintage and compare wines from different domains or winemakers in a region," says Kyungmoon Kim, founder of KMS Imports LLC.
"This allows you to see how each winemaker performed under the same conditions of the year," he says. "You compare the style of wine making of each winemaker."
"In the other type of horizontal tasting, also called side-by-side tasting, the organizers will present wines made from the same grape but from different places around the world," Kim says.
"For example, a Pinot Noir tasting can include wines from Burgundy, Oregon, Sonoma and New Zealand. Although many organizers stick to wines from the same year, they can come from vintages a year or two apart."
What do vertical tastings reveal about the wines?
"The advantage of a vertical tasting is that you really dive deep with a particular producer, and you can see the evolution of the wines and see how they change over time," says Kim. "You can see the consistency of the winemaker and see what they're trying to achieve. You can really understand their philosophy."
"Vertical tastings are also an interesting way to see how climate and other conditions affect a wine, such as how it will look in warmer vintages versus cooler ones, or in wet years rather than dry ones," Goldstein said.
"Wineries sometimes organize vertical tastings of their library wines to see how the products perform. They can learn from winemaking techniques or choices made in previous years."
"Serious collectors, especially those who have favorite chateaus, can organize vertical tastings to get an idea of how wines develop," says Goldstein.
"Let's say a group has invested each year in a case of the same wine from an estate in Saint-Émilion. If the group opens one bottle of each vintage, that can help determine which wines need to age or are ready to enjoy now."
Why do people do horizontal tastings?
"People with wines from the same region can get an impression of a certain place at a certain time," says Kim. "It's very useful if you're trying to paint a picture of what a particular vintage will look like, in a particular area or even around the world," he says.
"Horizontal tastings with wines from the same grape and from different regions can develop a better understanding of each region's expression."
"Horizontal tastings are a great educational tool that allows people just starting out with wine to broaden their scope and understanding of the different wine regions of the world and especially the different grapes grown in those wine regions," says Brandner.
"That ability to learn something new is the best reason to attend a vertical or horizontal tasting."
"No opinion is correct, but it is a very interactive way to learn from each other," says Goldstein. "The beauty of drinking wines is all about sharing wines and sharing opinions."
Source: Wine Enthusiast
