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Sonoma Wine Tasting Etiquette
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Sanoma Wine Tasting Etiquette In Three Easy Steps
If you visit Sonoma tasting rooms, you'll want to know how to taste wine. Here are the basics of wine tasting and tasting room etiquette. With your new wine tasting etiquette, you can visit any wineries with confidence to taste great Sonoma wine.
Everyone's seen those parodies of wine tasting. The snob sniffing the glass, swirling it around, swishing it in his mouth and talking about "redolent tones of cherry, blackberry and coffee". If you're visiting tasting rooms, you want to know the right way to taste wine, but you don't want to look like that fool.
Here are a few simple steps to let you get the most out of wine tasting and not stand out as "someone from out of town".
Wine tasting is really just three simple steps—look, smell, and taste.
Look
Your tasting room pourer will start with white wines then move to reds. You can tell a lot just by looking at the wine. Usually with whites, color indicates more flavor and age except brown, which can mean the wine is bad. Reds tend to lighten as they age but different varietals have different colors. If you tip the glass and look at the "rim" of the wine you can learn even more. A purple tint can suggest a young wine or an orange or brown tint can indicate maturity. Who would have guessed?
Smell
You've seen people swirling the wine around in the glass. Swirling releases the aroma of the wine but it requires a loose wrist and a little practice. You don't want to swirl all over your fellow tasters. You can lose some good wine. So go slowly and while you're swirling, continue to look at how the wine clings to the glass. If it's thick it can indicate a higher alcohol content or sweeter wine.
Most recommend taking two whiffs, a quick one for a first impression and a longer one to really get a feeling for what flavors you smell. Well over half of what you taste is a result of your smell so this is important. Put your nose just over the rim of the glass so you can get the most out of it. Don't worry about feeling foolish, there will be plenty of people doing the same thing.
Taste
Finally it's time to taste. Although it took a while to read the above steps in the tasting room it's a lot quicker. There's usually a two-sip process. The first you let roll around in your mouth. Is it smooth, harsh, light, heavy? Does it taste like some of the things you smelled? Take your time.
The next sip you can swish it around in your mouth. Some people even sort of chew it to get more air in. Now that does look a little weird. The most important thing is to think about what you taste and formulate your own opinion. Most wineries have Tasting Notes available that describe the wine. It's like comparing your movie experience to the critic's review. You can see if you did smell those redolent fragrances of cherry and roses. In the end it's whether you like it or not. describe the wine. It's like comparing your movie experience to the critic's review. You can see if you did smell those redolent fragrances of cherry and roses. In the end it's whether you like it or not.
If you visit Sonoma tasting rooms, you'll want to know how to taste wine. Here are the basics of wine tasting and tasting room etiquette. With your new wine tasting etiquette, you can visit any wineries with confidence to taste great Sonoma wine.
Everyone's seen those parodies of wine tasting. The snob sniffing the glass, swirling it around, swishing it in his mouth and talking about "redolent tones of cherry, blackberry and coffee". If you're visiting tasting rooms, you want to know the right way to taste wine, but you don't want to look like that fool.
Here are a few simple steps to let you get the most out of wine tasting and not stand out as "someone from out of town".
Wine tasting is really just three simple steps—look, smell, and taste.
Look
Your tasting room pourer will start with white wines then move to reds. You can tell a lot just by looking at the wine. Usually with whites, color indicates more flavor and age except brown, which can mean the wine is bad. Reds tend to lighten as they age but different varietals have different colors. If you tip the glass and look at the "rim" of the wine you can learn even more. A purple tint can suggest a young wine or an orange or brown tint can indicate maturity. Who would have guessed?
Smell
You've seen people swirling the wine around in the glass. Swirling releases the aroma of the wine but it requires a loose wrist and a little practice. You don't want to swirl all over your fellow tasters. You can lose some good wine. So go slowly and while you're swirling, continue to look at how the wine clings to the glass. If it's thick it can indicate a higher alcohol content or sweeter wine.
Most recommend taking two whiffs, a quick one for a first impression and a longer one to really get a feeling for what flavors you smell. Well over half of what you taste is a result of your smell so this is important. Put your nose just over the rim of the glass so you can get the most out of it. Don't worry about feeling foolish, there will be plenty of people doing the same thing.
Taste
Finally it's time to taste. Although it took a while to read the above steps in the tasting room it's a lot quicker. There's usually a two-sip process. The first you let roll around in your mouth. Is it smooth, harsh, light, heavy? Does it taste like some of the things you smelled? Take your time.
The next sip you can swish it around in your mouth. Some people even sort of chew it to get more air in. Now that does look a little weird. The most important thing is to think about what you taste and formulate your own opinion. Most wineries have Tasting Notes available that describe the wine. It's like comparing your movie experience to the critic's review. You can see if you did smell those redolent fragrances of cherry and roses. In the end it's whether you like it or not. describe the wine. It's like comparing your movie experience to the critic's review. You can see if you did smell those redolent fragrances of cherry and roses. In the end it's whether you like it or not.
Etiquette To Visit Sonoma Tasting Rooms
A Few Pointers
Your Sonoma Tasting rooms visit will start with white wines then move to reds. You don't have to taste all the wines if you don't want to.
Water and sometimes crackers are provided to clear your palate between wines usually used when moving from whites to reds.
There is a container to dump any wine in your glass if you don't want to finish it. Don’t drink out of it.
Don't feel guilty if you don't buy any wine but do respect the winery by not making your opinions known if you don't care for their wines.
If you make an appointment to visit a winery that isn’t open to the public, it's considered good manners to purchase a bottle of wine.
Tasting Room Don'ts
Don't be loud or rude.
Don't monopolize the pourer although they will be happy to talk about the wines. They are a wonderful source of information and are usually more than happy to share it. After all they are wine lovers.
Don't wear strong fragrances and perfumes to tasting rooms.
Don’t get drunk, it’s considered bad form and dangerous driving.
Don't forget to appreciate and enjoy this unique experience.
Wine tasting is a fun time. Where else can you enjoy incredible scenery, sip wonderful wine, and enjoy the mysterious art of wine making?
Use your new found tasting skills when you visit these wine regions with our one day self-guided wine tours.
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