Wine tasting – A beginners Guide
Wine tasting just is an unforgettable experience. Doesn’t matter if you drink wine or not, you will fall in love with the process and the history.
If you are into wines and want to learn more about them, either for personal consumption or even commercial/trading purpose, wine tasting should be a fixture in your annual calendar.
Most of the wineries will agree to meet and show you around if you have made a prior appointment with them. If you are into trading of wines, let them know. It helps in getting appointments. Usually it is free of cost but nowadays some of the wineries do charge a nominal fee.
If this is your first time, it is better to seek the help of a ‘wine guide’. Usually they are locals having connections with wineries and can schedule visits to multiple wineries in a single day. Also as they know their way around, hassles are reduced to a minimum. We have used the services of Frédéric while wine tasting in Bordeaux, France.
I will leave the finer details of wine tasting to your wine guide and the guide at the winery. Here, let me tell you a few things you need to keep in mind before you reach your first winery.
- Wear comfortable clothing and footwear. You will be spending a lot of time outdoors and some on the field. Better to layer your clothing as the weather changes fast during the day.
- Apply a lot of sun screen lotion.
- Carry water with you. All the walking around and tasting wine can dehydrate you.
- Tell your wine tour guide about you being a novice. He will give you a basic run down before you start.
- The person you meet at the winery may very well be the owner. They will tell you everything from history of the winery/ chateau, about the fields, the process of wine making & the type of wine. Try not to interrupt their narration. You can always ask them questions, don’t worry.
- You might be offered to taste 1-2 wines at the end of the tour. You can drink them but if you have multiple places to visit, it is better to spit them out. Spitting wine out is also an art and so be very careful.
- You can buy wines you tasted or even heard about from the winery. It definitely works out cheaper.
- You can also look out for authentic wine memorabilia to buy from some of the famous legendary wineries. Very difficult to get them outside.
This being your first time, you may not tell the difference between wines. Enjoy the experience. Maybe, it will be the beginning of a life long love with wines.
Once you have gone on a wine tasting trip, every time you sit down to sip a glass of wine, you will be transported back to the experience. Believe me, it’s unforgettable.
