Making the Most of Your Tasting Room Experience
Most will agree that a great tasting room experience can influence how we feel about the wines we are tasting. On a recent trip to Napa I had the good fortune to have one of the best tasting room experiences ever. The room was well lit and un crowded. The staff was glad to see us and made us feel like we were part of the family. We learned a lot about the winery, the winemaker, and the wines. The staff treated us to a couple wines not on the tasting menu and a barrel sample as well. We in turn bought more wine then we had planned.
With all the tasting rooms to choose from there is no reason for your experience to be a bad one. The good news is, much of the experience is in your control. Here are a few tips I have picked up in and out of the tasting rooms. By no means is this the last word on tasting room tips. If you have a few, please share.
GET READY BEFORE YOU HIT THE TRAIL
Do some pre-planning. Make a list of the wineries you want to see on your trip and find out if any are by appointment only. Nickel & Nickel in Napa is one of them. The tour starts at designated intervals throughout the day and ends with a fantastic tasting. These tours can take time and you will need to call well in advance to claim your spot.
- Bring plenty of bottled water. Most tasting rooms offer water by the glass but you will want to stay hydrated between stops. Your body will thank you.
- Eat! Here again, sounds obvious but it is important to remember to plan for a food stop somewhere in your day. When in Napa we like to stop at Taylor’s Refresher or Dean and Deluca. You will find your favorites wherever you go.
- Do not wear perfume or cologne. Smell is a very big part of the experience. Don’t ruin it for you or your fellow tasters.
- Do not chew gum. Unless you like the fresh minty taste of Quintessa . . . .
- Make sure you are dressed for the occasion. Even if it is in the heat of summer remember most barrel rooms are kept around 55 degrees
- Bring your cooler. When you buy your favorites you don’t want them cooked in the car while you are at your next stop. Even the styrofoam shipping inserts will help prevent your wine from overheating.
- Bring along a tasting journal. Taking notes helps you remember not only what you liked but why you like it. Many formatted journals are available but a small spiral bound notebook works just fine.
- Make sure you plan for traffic. Whether its Napa, Sonoma, Paso, or any other major tasting region traffic can be an issue on the weekends.
BUCKETS AND BARRELS
So you don’t want to use the dump bucket because you don’t want to offend the staff? Trust me, you won’t offend. They use it themselves. If your mission is to "taste" wine, you can’t very well taste anything if you have tasted (and swallowed) everything. Get a taste for the wine, write your notes, dump and move on. This way you maintain a clear head for the rest of your tasting.
If you come across a wine or winery that really piques your palate, ask some questions. Find out more about the vineyard, the fermentation process, how long on oak, what kind and how new was the oak. You start to building your mental library and can more accurately describe what you like, or don’t like about a wine.
Get a Wine Aroma Wheel http://www.winearomawheel.com/#purchase. This little gem helped change wine tasting for connoisseurs and beginners alike. They are very inexpensive but unbelievably helpful.
Finally, have fun. Wine tasting can be a very fun, social and educational experience. Make the most of it. If you are really lucky, you may be invited to have a rare barrel tasting. In any case, drop us a line and tell us about your wine tasting experiences.
Until next time,
Cheers!
