Decoding the Glass
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.
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.
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.
How to learn Decoding the Glass, step by step
Go in order. 13 short levels across 2 sections, about 26 minutes in all, five minutes a day.
- 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.
Questions about Decoding the Glass
How do I learn Decoding the Glass?
Go in order: start with The Sensory Ritual, then Structure and Selection. On Tomo that's 13 short levels, about 26 minutes in all, played five minutes a day. Start free and play the first level in under a minute.
Is there a Duolingo-style app for Decoding the Glass?
Yes. Tomo works like Duolingo: short daily lessons, streaks and quick quizzes. Decoding the Glass is one of its free courses, and you can type any other topic to get a course of your own.
Is the Decoding the Glass course free?
Yes. Decoding the Glass is playable on Tomo's free plan, which doesn't expire. No credit card, no waitlist. Download the app and start your first lesson.
How long does it take to learn Decoding the Glass?
13 levels across 2 sections, about 26 minutes of play in total. It's built for five minutes a day, so you finish it a little at a time instead of all at once.
Do I need any background to start Decoding the Glass?
No. It's pitched at a beginner level, so it starts where you are and builds up. If you can tap a phone, you can start.
Tomo is in ChatGPT
Tomo is also a ChatGPT plugin: the same playable courses, built and played inside your chat.
Add Tomo to ChatGPT- What to ask
- “Make me a Tomo course on black holes.” “Turn this chat into a Tomo course.”
- What you get
- Quick questions with instant feedback, hearts and stars, ready to play in about a minute.
- Where it goes
- No sign-up to start. Connect your Tomo account and your streak carries on in the app.
You pick the voice
Decoding the Glass is taught in 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.
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Start Decoding the Glass today.
Download Tomo, search Decoding the Glass, and play your first lesson in under a minute.