What is a vertical tasting and a horizontal tasting?

The horizontal tasting is a session where different wines of the same vintage from the same area or grape variety are tasted. This type of tasting makes it possible to compare the differences in production methods and the influence of different types of soil and microclimates on the same grape variety.

It consists on tasting of different vintages of the same wines. With this type of tasting we will observe the evolution of the wine over time, its development in the bottle and, above all, we will be able to distinguish the quality of the vintages and analyze the different changes in the production method if they had occurred.

The words “horizontal” and “vertical”, applied to wine tastings, have their centre of importance in a single factor: the year of harvest. In the case of a horizontal tasting, wines from different wineries, denominations, countries, etc., can be tasted or submitted for analysis, but meeting the same condition: they must all be from the same vintage.

On the other hand, in the case of a vertical tasting, the concept is to taste the same wine from different harvest years, successive if possible. Thus, for example, a certain wine should be chosen and the harvests of the years chosen should be tasted. The objective pursued is to observe the evolution of the wine over time in the bottle, its transformation, evolution and conservation capacity.

The wineries themselves usually organize both types of tastings as well as to compare themselves with the wines produced by the wineries in their environment as well as with their own and/or one in particular.