What is the recommended order for tasting champagne?

• A. Look → Taste → Smell → Feel the bubbles → Finish
• B. Look → Smell → Taste → Feel the bubbles → Finish
• C. Smell → Look → Taste → Finish
• D. Taste → Look → Smell → Finish

Answer: (B)

In sensory evaluation of champagne, you move from the visual to the olfactory to the palate, then to the texture of the bubbles, and finally to the finish. This order lets you isolate each sensation without one affecting another. Start by looking at the wine to assess clarity, color, and sparkle, which can hint at age and condition. Then sniff to identify the wine’s aromas, which set up what you might taste. Next, taste to evaluate acidity, sweetness, body, and the flavors present. After tasting, feel the bubbles—the mousse texture and perlage contribute a distinct mouthfeel that’s best judged after the flavors are registered. Finish is the lingering aftertaste and length, which is most meaningful after you’ve gone through appearance, aroma, taste, and mouthfeel.

That’s why the sequence Look → Smell → Taste → Feel the bubbles → Finish is the most effective. The other sequences mix sensory steps in a way that can blur aromas with flavors or overlook the unique sensation of champagne’s bubble texture.