Anyone who likes the occasional glass of wine would be fascinated to know how it is made, and the best way to find out is to head off to a vineyard and find out. Countries such as Italy and France are packed with wine producers who love to show off their wares and there are often organised tours and wine tastings that you can go along to. To get the most out of your visit, here are a few tips for you to keep in mind.

Book in advance

Don’t always assume that they will be able to make room for you on the day. Some vineyards limit the number of visitors that they have, particularly if they are doing guided tours – these will have number limits for health and safety reasons. Call the vineyard in advance to ask about tours and to make arrangements to arrive at the best time. You may be able to go if you aren’t worried about taking a guided tour. Vineyards can be busy places, particularly during the summer months.

Be careful with the drinks

As with any day or night out where you have a drink or two, you need to remember that someone has to drive you there and back. If the vineyard is close enough, a taxi could be a good choice, but if you are doing a bit of a tour of the region then it may be better to appoint one of your party as a designated driver. Remember that when you go along to a wine tasting then the aim is just to taste the wine, not to actually get drunk.

Someone who has been to one before and already has some knowledge of wines will understand that they don’t actually swallow the wine, but for others part of the fun is trying a few different wines and enjoying them.

Dress for the occasion

While a visit to a vineyard sounds like it should be an incredibly glamorous occasion, it is highly recommended that you dress for comfort. Casual wear is better. If you are touring the vineyard your shoes are likely to get dusty so wear some that are comfortable for walking in and that you don’t mind picking up a bit of dirt. Sunscreen and a hat are also recommended to protect you as you walk around.

Take an interest

Don’t be afraid to ask a few questions while you are visiting. Vineyard owners like the fact that people are interested in what they do and will happily talk to you about the grapes that they use and the processes.

Buy a bottle (or two!)

If you find a wine that you like at the vineyard then make sure you buy a bottle or two to show your support and appreciation. Not all vineyard owners are rich and many will not be supplying vast quantities to supermarkets around the world. They rely on smaller sales like this and will appreciate any purchase that you make.

Some vineyards will have formal wine tasting events, and if you are lucky enough to be invited along to one of these there are a few things that you should keep in mind.

Dress appropriately

A wine tasting is not like a walk around a vineyard. These are usually much more formal affairs and you are expected to dress appropriately. Smart clothes are better than casual, and if you decide to wear darker colours you will find it hides any spills much more easily. It is still recommended that ladies wear comfortable shoes as for the most part, you will be on your feet.

Avoid perfumes

One aspect of the wine tasting is noting the fragrance of the wine. You do not want any perfume that you choose to wear to get in the way of that. And any perfume that you wear will also interfere with everyone else’s ability to experience the wine’s fragrance.

Have a plan

At almost every wine tasting, there will be more wines than you think. The trick to managing this is to find out in advance which wines will be available and work out which ones you are most interested in trying. Create a list of the wines you want to start with and then go from there. It may be that you are only interested in tasting the Italian wines or you prefer to try sparkling wines. Some wine experts recommend that you split your experience into two halves. You reserve one half for trying some of the classic wines and the other half for tasting wines that you’ve never heard of before.

Make sure that you take a notebook too. This way you can note down the names of any wines that you like. There will be so many there that trying to remember them all the next day might prove difficult.

Eat before you arrive

If you make sure that you have something to eat before you arrive at the tasting then you will not feel the effects of the wine so soon. At most wine tastings there will be some kind of snacks so make sure you eat a little there too. Experts also recommend that you drink some water in between wines. This will help to keep you hydrated and cleanse your palate too.

This might sound easy – but for the most part people will opt for something sparkling for a celebration such as a wedding or special birthday. This might be prosecco or champagne, but for the most part most weddings will only serve champagne as the first drink at the reception and will go on to other wines for the wedding breakfast.

One of the reasons for this is that a good quality champagne is very expensive so they won’t serve it continually. You could swap the champagne for a good quality prosecco. This will help you to save a lot of money for your celebration and you may be able to serve more of it.

If you are buying any wines or sparkling wines for your celebration then as a rule of thumb it is a good idea to allow for one bottle per person. Some people will drink more and some will drink less but this will help you to plan the amount that you need. Include in the total a few non-alcoholic beverages – remember that not everyone will want to have an alcoholic drink on the day.

If you are looking for a holiday with a difference, why not spend a few days at a vineyard instead of just going along to taste the wines? It is an option in many countries, where some vineyard owners have either bed and breakfast facilities or self-catering accommodation. This means that you get to spend your time in luxury surroundings and get to see the wine making process up close over a few days instead of trying to absorb it all in a few hours.

France is well known for vineyards offering some gite accommodation. These are usually self-catering cottages that are located on the edge of the property, but you will still be within easy reach of the action. A short walk through the vineyards will take you up to the main part of the facility, where you can often enjoy lunch and taste a few more wines.

Vineyards in Italy, Australia and California also offer similar immersive experiences, but if you don’t want to travel abroad, then there are plenty of English vineyards where you can stay and find out more about the challenges of making wine in the UK, which has a very different climate to its European counterparts.

Make sure you do a little research on the vineyard before you go. This will help you to identify the points that you want to know more about and give you an idea of the wines that you might want to try. While you are staying at one vineyard there is nothing stopping you from visiting others in the area. This will help you to understand the region’s produce further and you can easily compare their wines.