Easy Wine Tasting Guidelines for Beginners
As I was scrolling through my Instagram awhile back, I came across a post about a wine tasting at a local wine shops in Sioux Falls. Faster than you can say, “like and subscribe,” I had sent invites off to two of my best friends. My bestie Shanae had never been to a wine tasting and my girl Kara has been to a few and wanted to try it out again. Over the years I have been to several but never to Cellar 54.
A fantastic approach to hone your palate is going to a wine tasting. You are able to taste an assortment of wines virtually side by side and compare them. With this approach, I’ve discovered several new favorites and I adore sampling wine styles that I have previously dismissed as being unappealing.
EASY GUIDELINES FOR GOING TO A WINE TASTING
It can be intimidating if you have never attended a wine tasting, which is understandable. To make the most of your experience, you might want to adhere to some guidelines.
Smell the wine! A big part of the wine experience is smelling the wine. It’s best to avoid wearing perfume or cologne. I am always tempted to through on my favorite Gucci perfume too but if I can smell it on me then the whole room can and that can through off other people’s nose and even affect how my wine tastes. Ditch the perfume for this occasion.
Don’t Vape/smoke before you go. Vaping and smoking might also cause some unwanted aromas so if you can delay till the event is over. Both vaping and smoking will also distort your sense of taste.
Avoid flavored lip gloss or chapstick. Obviously this will affect your taste buds but also lipstick stains are never a good look.
Eat a little something before you go! Many wine tastings events can have some cheese and crackers to help cleanse your palate between wines, but you probably don’t want your tummy growling.
Wear appropriate clothing. Depending on the location you can wear jeans and sandals but try to avoid too tight or too revealing clothing. You will be drinking and possibly eating so you want to be comfortable. Also, and it kills me to say this, leave the sky-high heels home. You don’t want to trip into a table full of glassware or on to a case of wine- look I’m sorta paranoid about worse case scenarios. Mostly you might have to do some walking around and heels make it a rough time.
Bring a small notebook– take notes of what each wine tastes and looks like- trust me when I say that by the time you get to your fourth wine you will have forgotten how much you liked the first wine. Also, I like to note which ones are my best picks so I can remember to take a bottle home. Taking notes will also help you get more comfortable with wine terminology.
Spitting wine is totally acceptable. Overindulging is possible and avoidable. If you don’t like the wine, you can empty your glass in a spittoon. I don’t care to spit personally and try taking very small sips to start off with and then if I don’t like it, I empty my glass. Spitting though, if there is a spittoon it is absolutely ok.
Cellar 54
Back to the big girl’s night out-when the three of us got to Cellar 54 the place was packed, but since we had a reservation our spot was on a sun drenched table near the door and we shared with another group of women-also a girl’s night out. The place was buzzing with great conversations and some people had brought their own foods.
The hand-selected wines were all excellent. The pricing were really affordable, and we each purchased a bottle to take home (unsurprisingly, they were all different).
The relaxed atmosphere was one of the things I appreciated about this trip. Everyone was conversing and having a wonderful time while wearing acceptable jeans. When I questioned the owner Jenna about the available five wines, I felt really at ease. For those who are new to the world of wine and are looking for a fantastic value and a chance to broaden their palate, I would definitely recommend this weekly event.
