Experience Wine: Wine Tasting Do’s and Dont’s
By: Quynh-An Phan

 

When attending a wine tasting, it is important to know the basic dos and don’ts.

1.DO avoid wearing scent to a wine tasting event. This includes perfumes, after-shave, cologne, scented body lotions, etc. Smell is such an important aspect of wine tasting, and it is courteous to not interfere with other tasters’ (and your) ability to smell the wine.
2.DON’T smoke anywhere near the event. Again, smell is important and no one wants to smell smoky wine aromas. Additionally, smoking before or during a wine tasting will affect your taste of the wines.
3.DON’T use any mints or gums before a wine tasting, as it will affect your taste of the wine, and possibly even the scent if the mint is strong enough.
4.DO spit out a wine after you have tasted, but please spit into the provided bucket or cup. Wine tasting experts have realized that if you drink every wine you taste, you will quickly be drunk before you reach the later wines. Being drunk will affect your ability to taste and cultivate opinions about the wines. Allow the wine to swish around your mouth for 8-10 seconds before you spit it out, so you can savor the flavors the wine offers. If you cannot bring yourself to spit, make sure you eat something substantial before you head to a wine tasting, as alcohol absorbs more slowly with a full stomach. Additionally, if you do not spit, make sure you have a designated driver.
5.DO slurp and make that gurgling sound. Wine tasters are making that sound to draw air into their mouth and aerate the wine to enhance the taste.
6.DON’T announce what your thoughts of the wines are before everyone has tasted the wine. Allow everyone time to taste the wine and contemplate its flavors.
7.DO skip wines on a tasting list and only taste a few of them, if you do not want to taste the full list. It is ok to only try a few wines. Some people only want to taste the reds or whites.
8.DON’T ask for a second taste of a particular wine, unless you have indicated that you intend to purchase the bottle of wine.
9.DO pour your unfinished wine into the dump bucket. It is acceptable to not finish a glass of wine.
10.DON’T be too loud and rowdy when with a group of friends. This ruins the atmosphere of the winery/tasting room, and disrupts others’ concentration when they are processing the wine experience.
11.DON’T say any negative comments about the wine, please keep them to yourself. Especially if you are tasting wine at a winery.
12.DON’T feel guilty if you do not purchase a bottle of wine. Buy only the wine you like, and do not feel obligated to purchase wine just because you attended an event.