Entitled: "La D矇gustation" ("Tasting"), caricature of wine tasters; group of four depicting the various stages of wine tasting. Color lithograph by Louis-L矇opold Boilly, 1825. Wine tasting is the sensory examination and evaluation of wine. While the practice of wine tasting is as ancient as its production, a more formalized methodology has slowly become established from the 14th century onwards. There are five basic steps in tasting wine: color, swirl, smell, taste, and savor. These are also known as the "five S" steps: see, swirl, sniff, sip, savor. During this process, a taster must look for clarity, varietal character, integration, expressiveness, complexity, and connectedness