Tips For Wine Tasting

If you’re not well-versed in wine tasting, we have a few tips to share that’ll make your experience go more smoothly so you can enjoy your vacation day to the fullest.

Here are our TOP 3 WINE TASTING TIPS:

1. Reserve In Advance

We highly recommend you make a reservation, especially for the more popular wineries. Many of the wineries in Napa use Tock for their advance bookings, which makes reserving online from your phone a breeze. It may also be of benefit to call wineries ahead of time to see what types of wines they specialize in if you’re looking to try something specific. Additionally, we recommend sticking to 2-3 wineries at most. Typically, tastings take an hour and a half or longer, so you don’t want to have to cut your experience short or be rushed to make your next reservation in another location.

2. Go No Fragrance

Smell is a huge part of tasting! Wine is best experienced when you free your senses from any distractions, especially the sense of smell. It's impossible to appreciate all the aromas of a delicate Riesling or a layered and nuanced Cabernet Sauvignon when the air is heavy with cologne. It is our recommendation to not to wear any fragrance when you wine taste, such as perfumes or scented lotions, in order avoid introducing unwanted aromatics. Not only can it affect your experience, but also those around you, so please be mindful of this tasting-room etiquette.

3. Pack Accoutrements

If you’re planning on visiting more than one winery in a day, be sure to pack some snacks. Pick-up an assortment of cheese and charcuterie at Silverado Market & Bakery before you head-out on your journey. We love the Triple Cream Brie or the Truffle Brie which pair well with uncured salumi. The Silverado Market & Bakery also carries a wide range of chocolates from traditional dark to more artisan coffee sea salt chocolate bars. Cheers!