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WINE TASTING NOTES

Wine tasting in Napa Valley or Sonoma can be an exciting and pleasurable experience. Unless you are in a private setting, the etiquette of wine tasting may not always be obvious when sharing the space with wine lovers. This list details a few of the dos and don’ts that you might consider when enjoying the wine with others. For someone new to wine tasting or maybe a veteran could use a refresher to the wines approach and to get the most of the wine tasting, here are a few tips.

ASK QUESTIONS. TAKE NOTES.

You are paying for the wine tasting experience. Be sure to take advantage of the winery service staff to inform yourself about the wine and the process of making it. Make notes to record your tasting experience, it will help your recollection when it comes to placing the order of wine.

COURTESY PLEASE!

Try to be sensitive to those around you. If you are at the bar, try to open up the space a little to let others in to get their next wine taste or dump their last in the bucket. Sometimes a wineries visitor numbers could surge so it is good to be aware of others around you. Turn off or silence your phones. If you need to use them, find a place outdoors away from others to make your call.
Note: Smoking and strong perfumes are not recommended but if it can’t be helped…if you put distance between you and others, it will better their wine tasting experience. Strong external odors can muck up the olfactory senses and change the expression of the wine.

SHARE YOUR TASTING

Those little tastes of wine can add up over time. A good way to pace yourself and extend the wine tour is to share a taste. Sometimes the pours are plenty for two and a great way to say a little money and endurance. On occasion, this strategy allows you to share more than one wine flight, if you wish. Napa Valley and Sonoma have many tastes and you only have so much time…

DUMP IT. SPIT?

Any winery that you will go to in either Napa Valley or Sonoma, at the bar or on your private wine tasting table, resides the infamous ‘dump bucket’. Infamous because is rests the bones of the wine tasting of the day ultimately the wine drain. Spitting is acceptable, please practice the spit and be on point

WHITE OR RED?

Better not to wear white because it could be red by the end of the day. With the swirling of wine and people sometimes things happen. If others are wearing white, avoid them. Lol.

ALWAYS BE SAFE

Please don’t Drink and Drive. It is never a good idea. From daily cruisers and checkpoints to the obvious safety concern, this can ruin the whole shebang. There are plenty of ways to get around Napa Valley and Sonoma to do wine tasting without considering this non-option.

SHIP IT.

Collect a few bottles for you stay in Napa Valley and Sonoma. With all that wonderful food that you will dine with, nice to have an elegant bottle of wine to top the meal. Every restaurant in Napa and Sonoma offers a corkage fee, call them to find out. Ship the rest home.

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