Often times, first-time wine country visitors are confused and have a long list of questions to ask. What is the proper wine tasting etiquette? Do I swirl the wine? When do I sniff it? Am I supposed to spit it out or pour it out after taking a sip?
Do you find yourself asking these same questions? Don’t worry – you are not alone!
When we take groups to the wine country, we review the five S’s of wine tasting: see, swirl, sniff, sip and spit. During our discussion, we emphasize the importance of spitting or pouring out the wine after a sip. Due to the number of wines you may taste at each winery, it’s a good idea to not finish the 1 oz. to 1.5 oz. pours at each stop. Worried you will offend your winery server? Don’t fret – wineries expect you to do this and this is in no way offensive. Remember – it is important to stay hydrated. A good rule of thumb is a glass of water for every glass of wine. A recent Wall Street Journal article gives another perspective on sipping and spitting. Click here to read the entire article.
Cheers!