How To: Navigate a Wine Tasting Festival
© The Flash List
The thought of attending a wine tasting festival can sometimes be intimidating for first time attendees or for those who do not consider themselves very experienced in the world of wine drinking. Oh, (our gut wrenches), that's such a shame because they can be so much fun and exactly the place to learn about new wines with just the minimal investment of the ticket price.
So, here are a few tips for wine festival attendees:
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Arrive early. Time can pass very quickly at a large wine tasting, so give yourself plenty of time to relax and enjoy the event at your leisure.
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Plan ahead. If you know the wine (and possibly food) vendors that will be offering samples of their products, make a list of the ones in which you are most interested so that you don't miss them in the fervor and excitement.
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Don't worry about your wallet. Winemakers, distributors, and vineyard representatives are there to help you, to serve you, and to inform you - you should not be bombarded with some kind of high pressure sales pitch. (As a matter of fact, sales at wine festivals are often prohibitied by law). You are not expected to do anything besides taste the wines that interest you and ask any questions that you may have.
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Be adventurous! We asked one winemaker what he considered to be the biggest mistake that people make at a wine tasting event, and his response was that they tend to gravitate toward wines they know instead of branching out to try new ones.
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Taste wines and foods in a light-to-heavy order. For a more specific tasting experience, try light wines and lighter fare first; then rotate back around for stronger reds and heavier food. And don't forget the desserts!
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Sip and discard if you wish. Small buckets are provided on most tables to be used for disposing excess wine from your glass should you decide not to drink it all. It’s perfectly acceptable and not considered offensive to do so.
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Cleanse your palate and/or your glass. Pitchers of water are also available and useful when tasting two dissimilar beverages one after another. For instance, you don't want a little pool of strong red wine lingering in the bottom of your glass when you're moving on to taste a delicate white wine. So just pour a little water in your glass, swirl, discard into the bucket, and you're good to go.
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Have seconds. If you come across a particular wine that you really love, ask for another pour if you like. It's perfectly acceptable.
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Take notes. Jot down the names and details of your favorite wines (or get information cards from distributors if available) so that you can purchase the product later if you wish. Since there tend to be so many great wines to taste, it is wise to take a moment to describe in writing what exactly it was you liked, so that you will be able to recall it later.
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Go to the head of the class. One note about seminars: People love to talk wine at gatherings like this, and they can get pretty chatty. So don’t feel hesitant to sit near the front of the classroom if you really want to hear the expert speakers without being distracted.
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Dress up. The more upscale wine tasting events tend to be quite dressy. Although we often see some men in jeans and blazers, business casual dress and suits are usually more appropriate. Women tend to wear dress pants, suits, sexy dresses, or even cocktail outfits that could be considered conservative nightclub chic.
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Keep your hands free. Take a purse with a shoulder strap or just tuck essentials into your pockets and leave the purse at home altogether. It can get a little tricky trying to wrangle a plate, glass, napkin, and utensil while leaving a second hand free to use for eating.
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Pace yourself. There is A LOT of wine at these events as well as sometimes beer and spirits, and it’s very easy to talk and taste and swap stories and taste and laugh … and before you know it … wow, somebody needs to find the snack table or drink a glass of water. Let’s see … two ounce pours, times four wines a station, times more and more stations, times … oh, that’s how many glasses of wine? So be careful.
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Take a shuttle. Check nearby public transportation options, or have phone numbers on hand for local taxi cab services. To reiterate, there’s a lot of wine at these events!
