What to expect at a wine tasting session
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.