12 tips for a Successful Visit to a Winery
I have compiled a few rules to help you enjoy your experience while visiting a winery.
A majority of wineries are owned by families who put their hard work, love and expertise into managing the vineyard. The families take great pride in their wineries and you are their guest.
Plan out your day
Napa Valley, Prince Edward Country, the Niagara Peninsula, the Okanagan Valley and every wine area has detailed maps and routes to follow. Read the map and plan to visit at least three or four wineries a day.
Have a great breakfast
Never go wine tasting on an empty stomach. Have a full meal early in the morning.
Have a designated driver
Your safety comes first. You will taste at least four wines per vineyard. These glasses can add up. It is important to have a designated driver. Many wineries offer a free non-alcoholic beverage to the designated driver.
Do not wear perfume
The perfume will interfere with your sense of smell and taste and you will not get the exact aromas of the wine.
Be humble
Even if you are oenophile, it is always good to be humble. Be open to other ways of doing things. You might be used to drinking wines that have a cork. Some use plastic or do not use cork at all. You might not like a blend or unoaked. Have an open mind.
Get to know the winemaker and their concept
Always talk to the owner or the winemaker. Become interested in them and ask questions. You will learn so much about the wine, the vineyard, and their approach to making wine.
Do not ask for a discount
The owners and the winemaker work very hard through challenging climates and the wines are worth every dollar. Do not haggle or ask for a discount.
Respect their time
If they are not busy, it is ok to talk to them. If the tasting room is full then respect the time of the owner and the winemaker.
Taste and spit if visiting more than one vineyard
I strongly recommend this habit. Always have a piece of bread before tasting. Clean your palate. Shake the wine in the glass. Look at the sediments. Put it against the light and see if there are any tannins at the bottom of the glass. Now take a sip and gargle. Most vineyards have a bucket where you can spit the wine out.
Do not ask if there is a better wine
You are insulting the owner by asking this question. Taste the wines that are offered on the flight.
Buy a bottle
The vineyard is offering you free tasting so that you can buy some wine from them. Please buy a bottle.
Bring a cooler to put the wine bottle
Always put the bottle that you buy straight into the cooler. This will protect the wine.
Photo Credits: Daniel Vogel Hari Nandakumar Bianca Isofache David Boozer Alexandra Andersson Andrew Worley Natanni Armando Castillejos Priscilla Du Preez Mein Deal Aron Visuals henry fournier Christopher John Pratt Christiann Koepke Daniel Minárik Trevor Gerzen
Great tips!
These are definitely great tips and, as simple as some of them sound, I’m sure they’re the most overlooked. I appreciate you telling people to respect the maker and not ask for discounts or talk down about their products. Different tastes for different folks. I definitely feel educated after reading this. Thanks!
Than you for these tips. I strongly recommend this like your ABCs on your wine tasting trip.
In addition to spitting, it’s ok to dump! Everyone I go with always feels bad for not drinking the whole sample, but if you feel like you understand the taste of the wine, there’s no reason to keep drinking if you’re visiting multiples in a day. If you drink everything, at some point, your pallet will be “numb” and everything will taste the same.
Great tips! Thanks for writing this!
With COVID around, we haven’t been on a wine tour in awhile. You’re inspiring me to research some wineries that may have outdoor areas available for tasting.
Did not know about the perfume. Thanks.
These are fantastic tips! I have never been to a winery but I really want to go someday. I will keep these amazing tips in mind when I go. So informative! I can’t wait to visit one.
Such great advice. I didn’t even think about the perfume one but completely makes sense!! Thanks so much for sharing.
I am not a wine drinker nor have a visited a winery. but i ma not opposed to a future visit. The tip of not wearing cologne or perfume is interesting and make sense. Thanks for sharing Jerry.
I’ve yet to experience going to a winery — these tips were really useful and made me want to put it on my bucket list!
I love a good winery visit. Great tips 🙂
I never thought about my perfume when visiting a winery before. That’s great advice! And the breakfast photo is to die for