Wine tasting weekends are the perfect opportunity to explore new places, taste new wines and enjoy good company. There are a handful of great wine regions in the U.S. ranging from the most popular, Napa Valley, to those with growing street cred, like Texas Hill Country. 

Wherever you’re tasting wine, here are some tips and things to think about to get the most out of your experience.

1. Decide how “hands-on” or “geeky” you want the experience to be

This starts with you deciding how you want to taste wine!  Do you want to know a bit about what’s in your glass or do you prefer to just sip it and take in the experience?

When visiting a winery, there is a spectrum of how involved and educational the experience is. For example, most vineyards in Napa Valley take time and care to educate you on the wine, vineyard, grapes, winery history etc. Whereas in Texas Hill Country it’s more of a split between these types of wineries and ones that are more of a sip and relax environment. Keep this in mind when choosing your destination.

2. Tasting the Wine: See, Sniff, Taste

Here’s a simple way to taste and evaluate wine. Learning to evaluate wines will help you better understand what you like so you can drink and enjoy more of those types of wine.  It can also elevate your experience by choosing the best foods to pair/compliment the wines.

See – holding the stem, hold the glass up tilting it into the light (cupping the glass with your hand will change the temperature of the wine, and thus…the taste), then stare straight down. Notice what color you see, how deep it is, and if there is any translucence in the glass.

Put the glass down on the table, while holding the stem with two fingers, swirl the wine. If the wine has more prominent “tears” that form on the glass, it is likely a bolder and heavier pour.

Sniff – Hover over the glass face down and get a good sniff. Take your time while you let the aromas register in your brain. Here is a quick run down of the different aromas in wine:

Fruit

Flowers, Leaves, Herbs

Spices

Vegetables

Aged Barrels

Taste – Finally, take a slow sip (just a sip!) just as you would sip out of a straw, and let your mouth take note of the flavors.  Believe it or not, the wine will taste different in the front of your mouth versus the middle of your tongue or the back when you swallow/. 

Questions to ask yourself as you taste the wine:

• What do you notice as you start to sip/taste the wine (meaning as it’s entering your mouth/hitting your tongue)?
• How does the wine feel around your tongue & mouth (i.e. the mouth feel)?
• As you swallow it, does it taste the same as above or has it changed?

3. The “Do’s”

• Make sure you’re not tasting wine on an empty stomach.
  Most wineries serve only light bites.
• Use water in between glasses to “reset” your pallet
• Plan in advance, routing the best way through your desired wineries
• Ask for recommendations/reviews

4. The “Dont’s”

• Don’t drive yourself if you’re going to be tasting/drinking wine all day!
• Don’t “save the best for last”, go to the must-see wineries first.
• Wear heavy perfume or other loud scents that will mess with the wine aromas for both you and people around you.

This blog was written by Willow Grove Estate, a 2.5 acre compound in Texas Wine Country that is home to a private event venue, overnight group accommodations and an on-site host. At Willow Grove Estate, we love wine and we are here to help others have the best experience tasting their way through Texas Wine Country!

We are a short five minutes from Main Street in Fredericksburg and with our on-site host, we can accommodate all of your needs, from wine-tour planning to meals and beyond. Learn more or reserve your weekend here.

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