Visiting a winery for the first time can be an exciting experience. You can learn about wine while also smelling and tasting many different types of wine. However, to make the most of your winery tour, it’s important to keep these simple dos and don’ts in mind.
DO: Dress Formally but Practically
Wineries are rather fancy places, which means you need to dress slightly more formally, especially if there’s a seated wine tasting involved. However, since winery tours may also include tours of the actual vineyards, you might want to stick to more comfortable sneakers and flat shoes instead of elegant but uncomfortable heels.
DON’T: Wear Perfume
Smelling the wine is as much a part of the experience as the tasting bit. This is why we always guide our guests to avoid wearing any strong perfumes when they visit the winery for a tour or tasting. Your perfume may not affect your experience, but it will definitely ruin the experience for others around you since a strong scent would entirely mask the subtle smells of the wines.
DO: Have A Light Snack Before the Visit
This goes without saying, but having wine on an empty stomach may not be the best idea. Most wine tastings may not include snacks; therefore, you should eat something before you come. No food means getting tipsy too early during the visit.
DON’T: Get Too Tipsy
While having food in your stomach is one way to avoid getting too drunk, you should generally try to stay as non-intoxicated as possible. While visiting a winery, you’d generally be offered different wines in very small quantities to taste. However, you don’t need to swallow those small amounts, either. During a winery tour or tasting, it’s perfectly acceptable to spit out the wine after giving it a swirl in your mouth. Go ahead and do it to avoid getting drunk.
DO: Ask Questions
If you’ve always wanted to learn about wine, this is your chance. If you’re visiting a winery, you’re expected to ask questions. Don’t be shy and ask anything wine-related questions you’re curious about. You can ask everything from how the wines are made to why they taste a certain way. Who knows, this may be your first step in your journey to becoming a sommelier!
DON’T: Act Like A Wine Snob
There are two kinds of people, those who don’t know anything about wine and those who seem to know everything about wine. If you’re the latter, try not to act like it. While there’s nothing wrong with having an enlightening discussion on wine with like-minded individuals, it becomes too obvious if a person tries to one-up the others in a conversation. That makes you look like a wine snob, especially if the person on the other end is your tour guide. You also end up making the experience unenjoyable for others taking the tour.
DO: Stay Hydrated
A visit to a winery may involve a lot of walking around, perhaps even in the sun. This is why it’s important to sip on something other than just wine. Wine isn’t going to keep you hydrated, and not having any water will lead to low stamina and lethargy. So, try to have at least 500 ml of water every 2 hours during the visit.
If you want to visit a winery to learn more about wine, you can visit us at Augusta Vin. As one of the best wineries in Texas, we offer sommelier wine tours, seated wine tastings, and much more.
