Visiting a Tasting Room
Many small, boutique wineries are family-run businesses. Chances are quite good that you will meet one of the winery's family members while visiting a winery. When visiting a wine tasting room consider yourself a guest. The owners and staff are proud of their facility and wines. They want everyone to enjoy their visit. Expectations in tasting rooms are different than at wine festivals or in busy bars. After visiting 125 wineries in the last nine months and talking with numerous wine hosts and visitors, we have created a selection of ideas to keep in mind when visiting a winery and vineyard.
The atmosphere in a winery tasting room is one of a subtle sophistication. While shorts and athletic shoes are acceptable so are semi-dress clothes. Do not arrive at the winery chewing gum. Gum will distort the taste of wine. Heavy perfume and aftershave will also not permit you or others near you to taste the wine effectively. Sense of taste is highly influenced by the sense of smell. Loud outside voices are not appropriate. Conversational tones are perfect and fit in well with talking about the wines you taste and meeting others who have common interests.
Tasting rooms can be crowded on weekends. Weekdays are generally slower and wine hosts have more time to talk about the wines you taste. In either case, if the tasting room is busy, do not elbow your way to the tasting bar. On busy days, some wineries will set up tasting tables or bars outside the tasting room. Give yourself plenty of time at a winery. Relax and enjoy the wine tasting and the ambiance of the tasting room. If the tasting counter is busy, consider stepping back to discuss wine with other like-minded people. This gives others room to step up for a tasting. Many wineries have gift selections to browse while tasting wines. Take your time tasting and browse the displays.
The tasting representative pours the tastings in a particular order based upon the style of wine. If you choose not to drink a particular wine that's fine. Gently cover your wine glass with your fingers to indicate you do not want to taste a wine. It is so much more subtle than declaring, "I don't like that wine." Not all wine drinkers like all wines and wine hosts understand.
Allow your wine consultant to pour the wine. Many wineries will offer to sell you a glass of wine if you would like more. If you ask to taste a wine for a second time, it is a common courtesy to buy a bottle of the wine.
What should you do with the wine in your glass you have tasted? If you do not want to drink or taste the rest of the wine in your glass, you can pour it into a spit bucket. It is perfectly acceptable. In addition, it is a good idea to spit your wine into the bucket. Even though tastings are small, they do add up after a number of tastings. If you are unsure about spitting, practice at home. A frequently heard suggestion is to practice in the shower.
Do you think wineries are being stingy when they set out tiny crackers or tiny bites of cheese? Remember this is not your lunch. The purpose of the crackers, dips or cheese is to cleanse the palate and to help one decide how the wine pairs with food. Some wineries have restaurants, so if you want lunch visit the restaurant.
Do you want to enjoy a picnic lunch? Many wineries encourage visitors to bring a picnic lunch. Frequently picnic or patio tables are available. Ask in advance if it is okay to bring a picnic lunch and where to picnic on the grounds. Do not bring wine from another winery or any other kind of alcohol. Laws restrict wineries and many wineries are not permitted to have any other alcoholic beverage on their premises. Besides, if you were going to someone's home for dinner, it would be tasteless to bring your own entr? Staff and visitors always appreciate good manners.
The best motto to follow in a winery or vineyard would be the National Parks motto, "Take only pictures and leave only footprints." When you visit a winery, if you like the wine and want to buy it that is great, but you do not need to purchase a bottle of wine. Do not buy a bottle of wine unless you like it. Participating in a winery tasting room can be delightful for everyone.
http://www.reprint-content.com/Article/Wine-Tasting-Room-Etiquette/104716
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Getting Started with Wine Tasting & Appreciation
Basic Wine Tasting Tips from http://www.wines.com/winetasting.html
The point of wine tasting is simply to find wines that you will thoroughly enjoy. There's no right and wrong when it comes to wine tasting. That said, there are some basic tips that will help you evaluate a new wine to see if it suits your taste.
- Start with a clear wine glass. The rim of the glass should bend inwards to help funnel aromas to the nose, and allow you to swirl without spilling.
- Now pour a little wine into your glass. An inch or less is best. If you are tasting several wines, begin with the lightest (sparkling wines, roses, then light whites followed by full-bodied whites) and progress to the heaviest (light reds to more full-bodied reds followed by dessert wines). This will help keep your taste buds more sensitive so you can better appreciate each wine in the series. A sip of water between wines can also help preserve your palate.
Notice
the color of the wine. It often helps to hold the glass up to
light or hold it against a white background, like a white napkin.
Color can give you a clue as to the age of the wine. White wines generally gain color as they age. Red wines lose color. That is, young red wines are more red or burgundy while older wines tend to show a hint of tawny brown around the rim.
Regardless of age, the colors of wine are just fun to see, ranging from pale yellow-green to ruby red to brick red-brown.- Swirl
the wine a couple of times by moving the glass in a circular
motion. Holding the glass by its stem, instead of the bowl, makes
this easier. Hold it in your hand or keep it on a surface, whichever
is easier.
Swirling is done to aerate the wine and release vapors, evaporating from the sides of the glass for you to smell. -
Then
put your nose right over the rim of the wine glass and breathe
in. Since most of a wine's charm is actually in its smell, rather
than its taste, this is important.
Most wines have characteristic aromas of the grapes they are made from, i.e. Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, etc. The more experience you gain with different wine varietals, the easier it will be to detect and identify characteristic wine aromas and bouquet.
For starters, your nose will tell you if the wine is pleasing to you and you may sense hints of vanilla, berries, peaches, or even grassy or smokey aromas. Every wine is different and this is all part of the fun of wine appreciation. - Now
it's time to take a sip. Not a gulp, just a sip that fills your
mouth maybe halfway. Before you swallow, let the wine slide across
your tongue from front to back and side to side. Notice as many
sensations as you can.
You'll notice many things about the wine. How sweet is it? How acidic is it? If it is a red wine, do you notice the tannins? Is it a light, medium or full-bodied wine? How strong is the alchohol? How fruity is it and do you notice other varietal characteristics? How silky or rough does the wine feel? Finally, does the wine feel "balanced" or does one element overpower the others? See more tips on evaluating wine "taste". - Swallow a small amount if you wish to note any lingering "finish". But if you are tasting a number of wines -- in a winery tasting room, for example -- your host will usually provide a vessel for you to spit out the wine instead of swallowing. (It is not rude.)
The bottom line is that a good wine should always give pleasure. It should smell good, taste even better, and be smooth and satisfying by itself or with whatever you're eating.
Wine tasting is harder to describe than it is to do. We suggest just tasting as many different wines as possible. Taste, experience, remember, and above all, enjoy!