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Tasting wine like a pro means taking the time to appreciate every facet of the wine, from its visual aspect to its aromas and flavors. The aim is to maximize your experience and better understand the wine you're tasting. Here's a summary of the key steps to tasting wine like a pro:

1. Visual inspection. 

As the wine is poured into your glass, observe its color, clarity and brilliance. Tilt the glass slightly and look at the wine's color nuances, from rim to center. 

2. Stirring. 

Gently turn your glass to swirl the wine. This oxygenates the wine, releasing its aromas. You can also observe the wine's "legs" running down the side of the glass, which may indicate the wine's viscosity.

3. Olfactory examination. 

Bring your nose close to the glass and breathe deeply to capture the wine's aromas. Try to identify the different aromas, whether fruity, floral, spicy or other. Take note of these first impressions.

4. Tasting. 

Take a small sip of wine and let it spread over your tongue. Avoid overloading your mouth, as this can mask subtle flavors. Let the wine spread through your mouth and note the different sensations, including taste, texture, acidity, tannins (if it's a red wine) and length in the mouth.

5. Aeration.

After swallowing or spitting out the wine, take time to reflect on the flavors you experienced. Note how the wine evolves in your mouth as it is exposed to air. Flavors can change and intensify over time.

6. Spitting. 

If you're tasting many wines in a row, spitting can be a useful practice to keep you sober and able to fully appreciate all the samples. However, if you are tasting a small number of wines and have no further obligations, spitting is not necessary.

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Source: Food and Wine