Summer is fast approaching, and with the weather comes the mass exodus for wine country. Our staff has taken some time to compile their personal tips & tricks for surviving a full day of tasting wines:
- Get a ride. Doesn’t matter if it is a limo, Über, Lyft, private driver, town car, pregnant friend, or who ever can stay sober. An average DUI in California (according to the DMV) costs $45,435 when all is said and done. Doesn’t make that couple hundred dollar ride look so expensive anymore, right?
- Toothbrush. Purple teeth are not the best look. Make sure you use a toothbrush that has never had toothpaste on it or it will alter your pallet. If you are concerned about your tooth enamel, gum is an excellent alternative as your saliva is much softer on your teeth than the bristles.
- Business cards. Wine tastings can be a great place to network because people are often more social and open to new possibilities while under the influence.
- Wine Away Stain Remover. Let’s face it, most of us over-swirl our glass from time to time, or dribble a little bit of wine on our shirt after a trip to the spit bucket. Be prepared.
- Extra shirt. Same reason as above.
- Pen & paper. Flooding the limbic system with alcohol is a good way to impair your memory. Write down your tasting notes, or you might forget.
- Stay hydrated. Lets face it, nobody wants to drink water when you can drink wine. Keep a water bottle with Emergen-C (or anything with electrolytes). Make a rule for yourself: After each company you taste at, take a large gulp of water for however many tastings you had. When you run out of water, don’t be lazy. Refill it. You’ll thank yourself later.
- Eat. Don’t just snack, eat. Make time for lunch somewhere, otherwise you’ll hate yourself later.
A few words from the office to get your mind in the right place, pre-tasting:
- Just because a Somm or Winemaker tells you a wine is incredible, doesn’t mean you have to enjoy it. Everyone has different taste buds and it’s OK if you don’t like it.
- When people are getting overly enthusiastic about tasting notes, remember, we all taste things differently. Don’t be afraid to say what you taste, even if someone else says something different.