Free wine palate quiz
What Wine Will I Like? Take the Palate Quiz
Eight quick questions about coffee, chocolate, lemons and more. No wine knowledge needed: we turn your everyday tastes into the wine styles you are most likely to enjoy.
How your coffee predicts your wine
You already know more about your palate than you think. Wine teachers describe every wine with the same handful of things you taste: acidity, sweetness, tannin and body, plus its flavours. Each of those has an everyday cousin in your kitchen, and that is what the quiz asks about.
Acidity: the lemon question
Acidity is what makes your mouth water. It makes a wine taste fresh and lively, and every wine has some. If you love lemon, grapefruit and sour sweets, high-acid wines like Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Pinot Noir will feel like home. If sharp things are not for you, softer whites like Viognier and plush reds like Merlot are kinder.
Sweetness: the iced tea question
Most wine is dry, which simply means little or no sugar is left after fermentation. Fruity is not the same as sweet: a ripe, fruity red can taste almost sweet while being completely dry. If you like your drinks sweet, start with off-dry and sweet styles such as Moscato d’Asti or a Riesling Kabinett, where fresh acidity keeps the sweetness from feeling heavy.
Tannin: the black coffee question
Tannin is the drying, gripping feel in red wine, the same sensation as strong black tea. It comes mostly from grape skins and seeds, and also from oak barrels. Some tannins taste a little bitter too. If you enjoy black coffee or very dark chocolate, that grip will probably feel familiar, so firm reds like Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo and Syrah are worth a try. If you prefer things milky and sweet, start with low-tannin reds like Pinot Noir, Gamay and Grenache.
Body: the milk question
Body is how heavy a wine feels in your mouth. Light-bodied wines feel like skimmed milk, full-bodied wines like whole milk or cream. Alcohol is the main thing that adds body, so wines from warm, sunny places tend to be fuller. Pinot Grigio and Beaujolais are light; oaked Chardonnay and Barossa Shiraz are full.
Flavour and oak: the snack-table question
Beyond the structure, every wine style has a family of flavours: fresh fruit, flowers, earth and herbs, or smoke and spice. Oak barrels add vanilla and toast, and a winemaking step called malolactic conversion adds the buttery note many people know from Chardonnay. If buttered popcorn and crème brûlée make you happy, oak-aged wines probably will too.
The quiz is a starting point, not a test you can fail. Taste is personal, it changes as you try more, and research on taste shows that people genuinely differ in how strongly they perceive bitterness and other tastes. The best way to learn your palate is to taste wines side by side and notice what you liked.
The eight wine styles in the quiz
| Style | What it tastes like | Grapes to try |
|---|---|---|
| Crisp & zesty whites | High acidity, light body, citrus and green apple, no oak | Sauvignon Blanc, Albariño, Grüner Veltliner, Pinot Grigio |
| Aromatic & floral whites | Peach, lychee and rose, from bone-dry to gently sweet | Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Moscato, Torrontés |
| Smooth & fruity whites | Medium body, ripe apple and pear, fresh but never sharp | Chardonnay (unoaked), Chenin Blanc, Godello |
| Rich & creamy whites | Full body, lower acidity, vanilla, toast and butter | Chardonnay (oaked), Viognier, Marsanne, Sémillon |
| Light & bright reds | Pale, silky, cherry and raspberry, low tannin | Pinot Noir, Gamay, Zweigelt |
| Soft & juicy reds | Ripe plum and berries, smooth tannins, generous | Merlot, Grenache, Zinfandel, Malbec |
| Bold & structured reds | Full body, firm tannin, dark fruit, pepper and oak | Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah / Shiraz, Touriga Nacional |
| Savoury & earthy reds | Fresh acidity, firm tannin, sour cherry, herbs and leather | Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Tempranillo |
FAQ
Questions & answers
How do I know what wine I will like?
Start from what you already enjoy. If you like sour, zingy things, you will probably like high-acid wines. If you take your coffee black or love very dark chocolate, the grip of tannin in red wine will feel familiar. A sweet tooth points to off-dry styles, and a love of cream and butter points to fuller, oak-aged wines. Then taste a few wines from the style you land on and notice what you liked.
What is a wine palate?
Your palate is simply your sense of taste and what you enjoy. In wine it usually means the styles you like: how much acidity, sweetness, tannin and body, and which flavours. Nobody is born with a “good” or “bad” palate. It gets sharper the more wines you taste and compare.
What wine is best for a beginner?
The one that matches what you already like. That said, many people find fruity, low-tannin wines the easiest start: a juicy Grenache or Merlot, a light Pinot Noir served slightly cool, an aromatic Riesling with a touch of sweetness, or a gently fizzy Moscato d’Asti. Very tannic reds and very oaky whites are often an acquired taste.
Can I like both red and white wine?
Of course, and most people do. That is why the quiz gives you a white and a red. The two usually share a thread: someone who loves zesty Sauvignon Blanc often enjoys fresh, high-acid reds like Pinot Noir or Sangiovese too.
How accurate is a wine palate quiz?
It is a good first guess, not a prescription. The links between everyday foods and wine structure are real (sourness is acidity, black coffee and dark chocolate share bitterness and grip with tannin), but taste is personal and depends on mood, food and company. Use your result as a shortlist, then let your own glass decide.
Build your Palate Passport
Scan a label, rate the wine, and Winelingo maps your taste in reds and whites, on one card you can show in a wine shop. Free to download, with Premium for unlimited scans.
Want to test what you know instead? Try the free wine tests, ten questions each.