A wine tasting can be based on any theme, but two of the most common are “Vertical” and “Horizontal” tastings.

A Vertical is a tasting in which one wine, from one producer is tasted across a series of vintages. The point of a vertical is to observe how the wine has changed over time and also discover its best/worst vintages.

A Horizontal tasting is one in which a style of wine (varietal, region etc.) is tasted across many producers in one vintage to discover the differences in how each producer crafts the wine when the vintage is constant.

Whatever you choose, you can learn a lot by comparing wines side-by-side! Planning on hosting your own wine tasting at home? Our Wine Enthusiast Essential Wine Tasting Kit is a great start!