Wine Tasting Bingo: Sip, Swirl, and Play

Wine tasting bingo works on two levels. For wine novices, it's a fun way to learn tasting vocabulary without the pressure of performing wine knowledge. For wine enthusiasts, it's a game of recognition — marking squares when you actually taste the descriptor in the glass, not just when someone says it.

Two Formats

Descriptor Bingo

Each square is a tasting note or descriptor. Guests mark the square when they taste something matching that description in their glass. Works best with a structured tasting of 4–8 wines over the course of an evening. Guests can compare notes on what they marked and what led them to mark it.

Phrase Bingo

Squares are things a sommelier, host, or other guest says during the tasting. Mark the square when you hear the phrase. Works well at vineyard tastings where a guide leads the session, or at home wine nights where the most knowledgeable person in the group tends to hold forth.

Wine Tasting Bingo Squares

Tasting Descriptors (Tastes and Smells)

• Blackberry
• Cherry
• Vanilla
• Oak
• Leather
• Tobacco
• Pencil shavings
• Earth or soil
• Pepper (black or white)
• Citrus
• Green apple
• Honey
• Butter
• Toast
• Dried fruit
• Mineral or flint

Wine Vocabulary (Texture and Structure)

• Tannic
• Silky
• Grippy
• Acidic or bright
• Full-bodied
• Light-bodied
• Finish (long or short)
• Dry
• Off-dry
• Balanced

Sommelier Phrases (Phrase Bingo)

• "Notes of..."
• "The nose on this is..."
• "You're getting the tannins there"
• "This pairs beautifully with..."
• "Classic Old World style"
• "New World fruit-forward"
• "Let it breathe"
• "This is drinking well right now"
• "What do you get?"
• "I'm getting a hint of..."
• Someone confidently wrong about a grape variety
• Someone pretends to taste something they clearly don't

How to Run Wine Tasting Bingo at Home

1. Choose 5–8 wines to taste across the evening (a mix of regions or varietals)
2. Distribute bingo cards — digital or printed, both work
3. Pour the first wine and give guests 2 minutes to taste and mark squares
4. The most knowledgeable person leads a quick discussion: "What are you getting?" — this naturally surfaces more phrase bingo opportunities
5. Move to the next wine after 5–8 minutes
6. Award a prize at the end — fittingly, a bottle of something nice

Prize Ideas for Wine Bingo

• A bottle of the evening's standout wine
• A wine-related accessory (aerator, preservation system, tasting journal)
• A wine subscription month
• Gift certificate to a local wine shop
• A cookbook that pairs food with wine