A number tells you nothing about a wine. It tells you what one person thought on one specific day, in one specific cellar, with one specific set of expectations. VinoVonk works differently: assessment based on context, sensory experience, and what the wine actually shows — not how many points it deserves.
Starting point
A wine only becomes interesting when you place it in context. Production method, region, grape variety, winemaker -- these are not footnotes, they are the story. The tasting approach at VinoVonk is not a clinical measuring instrument, but a combination of sensory assessment and informed interpretation.
Conditions
Wines are tasted at the appropriate serving temperature for their style. Preferred ranges:
- Sparkling wines and light whites: 8-10°C (46-50°F)
- Full whites and oxidative styles: 12-14°C (54-57°F)
- Light reds: 14-16°C (57-61°F)
- Full reds: 16-18°C (61-64°F)
Tasting takes place in a clean, odour-free environment. Standard glass: ISO tasting glass or Zalto Universal. No scented candles, perfume, or other substances that might compromise the nose.
Approach
Assessment follows three stages: colour and clarity, nose (both cool and as the wine warms), and palate including finish. Additional attention goes to balance between acidity, tannin, alcohol, and fruit, and to the integration of any oak influence.
Where possible, a wine is tasted at multiple points -- immediately after opening and after an hour. Young wines are sometimes reassessed the following day.
Blind or open tasting
The preference is for semi-blind tasting: the grape variety and region are known, but the producer and price are not. This avoids both snobbery (expensive = good) and reverse snobbery (cheap = more honest). Where tastings are fully open, this is noted.
Scores and recommendations
VinoVonk does not use a points system. Scores like 92/100 imply a precision that wine simply does not have -- a wine can taste different on a warm summer's day than in a cool cellar in November.
Instead of scores, VinoVonk uses three categories:
- Recommended -- a wine you would suggest to anyone who enjoys this style.
- Worth knowing -- interesting, not for everyone, but deserves attention.
- Learning moment -- a wine that reveals something about a region, grape, or style, even if the result does not fully convince.
Terminology
VinoVonk uses wine terminology where necessary, but writes for readers who have not completed a sommelier programme. Technical terms are explained on first use. Comparisons with everyday tastes and aromas are used deliberately -- not as clichés, but as bridges.
Common terms on VinoVonk:
- Minerality -- a sensation of freshness, salt, or stone; not literally the taste of minerals.
- Structure -- the combination of acidity, tannin, and body that gives a wine its shape.
- Length -- how long the flavour impression lingers after swallowing.
- Terroir -- the expression of soil, climate, and site in the wine, independent of winemaking choices.
Training and background
Jeroen Vonk holds the WSET Level 3 Award in Wines and has completed additional training with the CIVC (Comite Champagne) and in various wine regions. Tasting is a skill that is continuously refined.
Questions about the methodology? Get in touch.