This paper builds on a model developed to engage in shared material experience in a protocol inspired by wine tasting: the Material Connaissance Method. In this paper the theoretical framework and motivation is discussed. In the first section the material experience model based on wine tasting protocols is briefly presented, followed by a literature review in the fields of material experience and tacit knowledge co-creation. The paper concludes with a reflection of the initial pilots of the protocol and their theoretical repercussions. The main contribution of the paper is the proposal of a framework for engaging in research through design as a way to understand the tacit dimension of material experience in the context of upcycling.