Wine Touring 101

To be honest, when my husband and I first started exploring wine and wineries we certainly did not have the customs or techniques down as we should have. Now however, after numerous day trips to the tasting rooms we feel like seasoned veterans. So, I wanted to cover some tips that might help you on your next winery visit.

Hours of Operation

There is nothing worse than taking a long drive, only to arrive with no lights on. So when you plan your day, be sure to consult the winery guides to make sure that the winery you want to visit is open. There are many wineries that are only open on weekends or on a few major holidays. For the most part wineries are open from noon to 5:00 pm. A few open earlier.

Tasting Rooms

A tasting room is just what it sounds like. It is designed to host visitors, display the various wines for sale, and most importantly, allow visitors to sample some of the wines. Tasting rooms typically feature a winery's selection of wines, and may have additional products, cheeses and foods, and other accessories.

Depending on the size of the winery, the tasting room may be simply a small room or an isolated part of the building. The tasting room may be located on the winery's property, or in a nearby city.

One important point is to find out what order to taste the wines in. You want to start with dry wines, then reds, followed by sweeter wines. If you drink the sweeter wines first, your taste buds will be shot for the nuances of the lighter, drier wines.

Ask Questions

Be sure to ask the tasting room staff any questions regarding their products. They are there not only to pour tastes of wine, but also to educate you about their offerings. Here are a few of the many questions you might consider asking when you arrive at a winery:

What kinds of varietals do you grow at this winery?
How long are the wines aged before being bottled?
What have been the best vintages?
What is the winery´s average yield of harvest grapes per acre?
Which wines are aged in barrels?
What is the winery´s volume of production?

Spit

Spitting is an acceptable part of tasting room etiquette. The technique is simple: when you have finished tasting your wine lean forward and expel a steady stream into the bucket. It is considered bad form to dribble or spray the sample.

Experiment

Try wines you have never tasted before to widen your range and surprise yourself. Ask the staff which of their wines the vintner is best known for.

Take a Notebook

It does not make you a wine nerd to want to remember the wines you have tasted.

Buying Wine

Most every winery allows you to purchase their wines in any quantity you desire. Most offer discounts if you purchase a half or full case of wine, and even allow that case to consist of any combination of their wine.

Eating

Always plan to eat somewhere along the way and having some non-alcoholic drinks available. Wine like other alcohols tends to dehydrate you, so a water bottle in the car is an excellent idea. I tend to plan for a picnic after the second winery visit on day-trips or to eat a meal at a restaurant before the drive home. That break is also useful for clearing the taste senses and allowing you to discuss what you´ve done so far. Many wineries have picnic tables available, or know where you can find them.

Tours

For larger groups you may want to organize your own tour, rent a private tour bus, and customize the tour specifically for your guests. If you have a party of ten or more, organizing your own tour may be the best route to go. Be sure to plan the event carefully, visit the specific wineries you have in mind, and plan some fun to get the most enjoyment possible.

Please remember that while most wineries welcome tour buses, not all have the facilities are able to accommodate such a large number of people. Please remember to call all the wineries ahead of time, before you organize the event. This will give them time to prepare for your arrival.

Scents

Wearing any scented items will interfere with your enjoyment of the wines as well as those around you. So leave behind scented perfume, hairspray, and tobacco. No offense to smokers, but the scent of tobacco takes away from the wine.

Wine Club

If you find a winery that you really like, join their wine club. The discounts and availability of wines allows you greater access to what you like at a price reduction. Many of the wines you have tasted you probably will not find at your local wine merchant. Therefore, when the 2,000 cases of the 1999 Cabernet you love run out, they are gone!

Walking through Vineyards

Some wineries may allow you to wander through a portion of their vineyard, and some may request that you remain near the tasting room property. Wineries are very concerned about the spread of pests such as Phylloxera. These pests can be carried on your shoes and transferred from one winery to another. Throughout history pests and diseases have destroyed acres and even entire crops, so be sure to ask the staff at the winery before you go wandering among the grapes.

If you are permitted to walk in the vineyards, you are in for a real treat. Few things can compare to holding a wonderful glass of wine in your hand, as you stroll past the very grapes that make that wine possible!

Contributor: Jim Stein (Syracuse, NY)

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