Walla Walla, Washington 99362, United States
Wine Tasting Etiquette
General Rules of Thumb when wine tasting:
- Do not wear perfume, cologne, or body sprays. Wine tasting is a sensory experience. This includes both taste and smell. Coming into a tasting room smelling of perfumes and colognes will ruin the tasting experience for you and other patrons. Be mindful not to introduce any unwanted aromatics to the tasting room.
- Cigarettes, coffee, toothpaste, chewing gum, mouthwash, and other such things are going to ruin your palette momentarily. If you have smoked a cigarette, drank your morning coffee, and/or brushed your teeth, eat a cracker or piece of bread to prepare your palette for wine tasting. Cigarette smoke also effects others in the tasting room if your clothing has absorbed the smell.
- Mind your manners. Be polite and don't expect to drink all you want. It is a "tasting" after all.
- Don't be loud, don't be obnoxious, don't be unruly, don't swear. Many small, boutique wineries are family-run. When visiting a wine tasting room consider yourself a guest. The owners and staff are proud of their facility and want everyone to enjoy their visit.
- Don't care for the wine? That's okay! It is acceptable and encouraged to "dump." Just be respectful and don't make a scene about it. Whether it is the winemaker pouring wine for you or not, it is not acceptable to be rude. The tasting room staff takes pride in the wines they are sharing with you and it is not kind to go on about how much you dislike it. Not everyone has the same palette, and it is absolutely okay to not care for a particular wine. Just keep in mind that the person pouring for you could be the person who made it, a family member, a friend, or simply a person that works there and respects the wine and the winemaker.
- Be open minded and put aside any pre-conceived opinions. It may be true that you’ve never tasted a rosé you’ve liked, but go ahead and try what is being offered. There is always the dump bucket, and if the wine simply is not for you, no one will be offended. Refer back to the being respectful rule.
- If you appear drunk, the tasting room attendant is not permitted, by law, to serve you even if it is a tasting. Drunken behavior has no place in the atmosphere of the tasting room. Wineries deal with this behavior in different ways, most often you will be asked to leave.
- Don't ask to revisit a wine if you have no intention of purchasing any wines.
- Finally, whatever you do, do not act like a wine snob.
How to Taste Wine Like a Pro
As you are tasting wine follow these steps
- SEE: Look at the colors of the wine. If it is a white wine is is pale or golden in color. Rose wine can be many shades of pink depending how long the skin contact is. All wine gets its color from skin contact because all juice is white. Grenache and Pinot Noir tend to be a lighter red than Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah.
- SWIRL: You will have about 2 ounces of wine. Swirl it around in the glass to release the aromas.
- SNIFF: What do you smell? In whites you may smell apple, honey or citrus fruits.. A Cabernet may have some rich blackberries and a Syrah hints of pepper.
- SIP: Now take a sip and what do you taste at the beginning, middle and end?
- SAVOR: Does the taste linger in your mouth?