As the name suggests, wine tasting days are lengthy events where you can visit three or more wineries and their tasting rooms in one afternoon or a series of wineries over a few days. These are often set up as wine country tours, but you should be able to visit several cellars without reservations. That is, as long as the touring season is open (many wine cellars close shop in the winter months). A lot of the time the local tourism office will set up a route for you that consists of several wineries that are easy to get to in one day. So, you’ve gathered your wine tasting group, you have your itinerary and you need to visit so many wineries in only so much time. How?
There are many parts to this “how” question. Two of the most obvious should be: How do I fit all of these wine tastings in and how do I fit them all in without getting completely wasted? This is where planning your wine tasting day comes in. You will absolutely need to plan for snack breaks. You’re sipping a lot of wine, probably swallowing a large amount of that too, because, well it just seems wrong to spit all that delicious wine out. But you should spit. There should be spit buckets set up about the room. Don’t be embarrassed, everyone is doing it. Why? Because even though you are spitting, you will still absorb a fair amount of alcohol through your tongue just from tasting and you can easily develop a buzz. At one to two ounces per sample, swallowing everything you taste will surely put you on the floor quickly. I won’t even go into the driving hazards. To help soak up the alcohol you do take in, you can either pack food for the trip or plot out restaurants to hit along your path. And take breaks to clear your head if you do need to drive. Remember, drink responsibly.
About spitting. How do you do it without looking like you’re chewing a wad of tobacco and making the spittoon ring? You only need to taste about half of your glass, maybe half an ounce of wine, per sample. You can go back for seconds, of course, but initially half an ounce is all it takes. This allows you to spit with a little control. If you have to wipe your mouth afterwards, you’re taking in too much. Pucker your mouth with your tongue pressed against your top teeth and your cheeks pulled in so you are cupping the wine between your tongue and the roof of your mouth. Then blow it out. You can practice this at home with water if you aren’t confident about your technique. Or you can just fudge it. I can say for one, I don’t have a technique. I’ve been to so many wine tasting events so often now that spitting is second nature and I don’t have to wipe my mouth off on my sleeve anymore.
The key to successful wine tasting days, no matter how long they are, is spitting. You are there to enjoy the many wines that the wineries have to offer. You will lose the ability to taste the different wine profiles if intoxicated.
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