Decoding the Glass
Like Duolingo, but for Decoding the Glass. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.
For the part of you with thirty open tabs that never became anything.
A short one: 13 levels across 2 sections, about 26 minutes end to end, roughly 5 days at five minutes a day. It moves through The Sensory Ritual and Structure and Selection. It starts from scratch.
Free forever · No credit card · iPhone & Android
Key ideas in Decoding the Glass
- Thick-skinned grapes produce darker colors
- Swirling increases surface area
- Red wines turn brown with age
- Swirling evaporates alcohol to carry aroma
- White wines get darker with age
- Glass shape traps scents
- Color depth and age
- The purpose of swirling
- Short, quick 'bunny sniffs' move air more effectively over the olfactory sensors
- One long inhale numbs the scent receptors quickly
- The motion evaporates alcohol which carries aroma molecules to the top of the glass
- Taking breaks between sniffs prevents 'nose fatigue'
- Sucking in air (slurping) while the wine is on the tongue releases volatile compounds
- White wines actually get darker and more golden with age
- Aeration in the mouth allows the aromas to travel to the back of the nose
- Mixing air with the wine makes the flavors taste more intense and complex
You've tried the other tabs
Thirty open tabs. Four facts you actually kept.
You watched. You nodded. By Sunday it was gone.
One answer, then back to scrolling.
Eight weeks. You meant to finish. You didn't.
Tomo gives Decoding the Glass the Duolingo treatment: levels, streaks, and quick quizzes that test what you just learned. That game loop is what the tabs above never had, so it's the one you actually finish.
Here's what playing it feels like
A real question from this course. Take your best guess.
What is the main physical result of swirling your wine around in the glass?
Get it right to open this lesson and 12 more in the app.
Where Decoding the Glass takes you
Stop guessing and start tasting. Learn the professional techniques to identify flavors, feel the structure of a wine, and order your next bottle with total confidence.
- 1
The Sensory Ritual
- The Four-Step Tasting Ritual
- Identifying Flavor Families
- 2
Structure and Selection
- Feeling the Wine's Structure
- Ordering and Serving Like a Pro
2 sections · 4 units · 13 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
You pick the voice
Decoding the Glass is taught in the The Bestie style: your friend who just gets it. Want a different feel? In the app you can spin up the same topic in any of Tomo's teaching styles. Same facts, totally different vibe.
More Food & Drink on Tomo
Tasting French Wine
Develop a professional palate by mastering the systematic tasting method and decoding the complex world of French appellations. This course provides the foundational sensory skills and regional knowledge required for a career in the wine industry.
Wine Without the Pretense
Stop guessing at the wine shop and start trusting your palate. Learn to identify flavors, read labels like a pro, and serve every bottle at its best.
The Confident Wine Taster
Stop guessing at the wine shop. Learn to identify what you actually like, decode any bottle label, and pair flavors like a pro.
Wine: Find Your Perfect Glass
Stop guessing at the wine shop and start drinking what you actually enjoy. Learn to decode labels, identify flavors, and pair bottles with your favorite meals.
Wine: From Tasting to Terroir
Move beyond 'red or white' to understand the structure, labels, and climate factors that define a great bottle.
Better Drinking: Avoiding Common Mistakes
Learn to enjoy alcohol without the common pitfalls. This course focuses on serving, pacing, and tasting better to elevate your experience and avoid the morning-after regrets.
Start Decoding the Glass today.
Download Tomo, search Decoding the Glass, and play your first lesson in under a minute.