TCA? Take it away!
Have you ever ordered wine in a restaurant ….noticed it didn’t smell quite right (kinda like a wet newspaper?) … but didn’t send it back? Or, perhaps you mentioned something wasn’t right to the waiter and he/she convinced you that a bit of decanting would solve the problem rather than returning the bottle? Or, you just don’t trust yourself to determine whether a wine is “off” or not so you’re a bit intimidated to send it back (or return it to a retail location for a new bottle)? If you answered “yes” to any or all of the above questions, ask yourself “did I enjoy the wine that I did not send back” or “did I turn off to a brand, variety, or region” because of it?
When I hear comments such as “I don’t like …….” (add a variety such as Merlot or Aglianico, etc.), or “I don’t like wines from ……” (add South Africa or Chile, etc.), I always wonder whether the decision was due to a poorly made wine or perhaps the result of drinking a tainted bottle.
My advice: if you suspect TCA…have them take it away!
Cork taint is a broad term referring to a wine fault characterized by a set of undesirable smells or tastes found in a bottle of wine, especially spoilage that can only be detected after bottling, aging and opening. Though modern studies have shown that other factors can also be responsible for taint – including wooden barrels, storage conditions and the transport of corks and wine – the cork stopper is normally considered to be responsible, and a wine found to be tainted on opening is said to be “corked” or “corky”. Cork taint can affect wines irrespective of price and quality level.
The chief cause of cork taint is the presence of 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA), and/or 2,4,6-tribromoanisole (TBA), in the wine, which in many cases will have been transferred from the cork, but which also can have been transferred through the cork rather than from it. Corked wine containing TCA has a characteristic odor, variously described as resembling a moldy newspaper, wet dog, damp cloth, or damp basement. In almost all cases of corked wine the wine’s native aromas are reduced significantly, and a very tainted wine is quite unpalatable, although harmless. While the human threshold for detecting TCA is measured in the single-digit parts per trillion, this can vary by several orders of magnitude depending on an individual’s sensitivity. Detection is also complicated by the olfactory system’s particularly quick habituation to TCA, making the smell less obvious on each subsequent sniff.
After many personal encounters over the years I can say with confidence that if you suspect TCA then have them take it away and provide a fresh bottle, or if you bought the bottle at retail pour the wine back in, replace the cork and bring it back for a new one. I say this because it is the best decision for you, for the restaurant or retail store, and for the winery. How so?
- From your standpoint, if you drink a corked bottle you will not enjoy the wine… that’s an understatement. The nose will have lost all of its nuance being replaced instead by a smell of wet newspapers. If there was any fruit in the bottle, you won’t taste it in the glass.
- From the view point of the restaurant, the fact that you have paid good money for a bottle of wine that tastes and smells off my mean you don’t return to the restaurant .. and you may even tell your friends to stay away as well. If you bought the wine at a retailer, you will surely feel you didn’t get your money’s worth…. maybe time to find another retailer.
- From the viewpoint of the brand / winery, you now have a very negative impression of their wine. It is very unlikely you will buy or recommend any wine from this producer.
- From the viewpoint of the region / variety, you may now think you “don’t like Spanish wines or French or Greek wines” or you don’t like Merlot, Pinot, or Lemberger, etc.
Again, I am speaking from personal experience. I have in the past made the mistake of saying to myself “oh, I think I smell TCA but not sure … it’s only a little corked”, so I continue to drink the wine. Most often, as the bottle opens, the smell and the taste of the wine gets worse. I no longer worry about being embarrased if someone else can’t easily smell the TCA – I automatically return it. Here’s why:
- At an upscale restaurant in Sonoma (the girl & the fig) I ordered a bottle that I was not familiar with but that sounded like something I would like to try (Tullulah Syrah). When brought to the table I smelled the wine… oh oh … TCA. I called the waiter back and suggested it was corked. She at first said she would have to check with the Wine Manager, but promptly returned with a new bottle having confirmed it was corked. The difference in the wine was like night and day. Had I accepted the bottle I would have never known how good the wine really was, AND … I recently found this wine on the net and bought a few bottles as a result of tasting it while in Sonoma.
- Recently I bought a bottle of 2008 Ferrari-Carano Merlot. The bottle was on special and I wanted to try the wine since I have enjoyed several other bottlings from this producer. Uncorked the bottle, took a sniff …ugh.. TCA. Keep in mind that approximately 3% – 5% of all bottles are corked (although the incidence has been reduced greatly by new processes put in place by the Portuguese Cork producers), so this is not an issue of the winery typically (although TCA can sometimes result in the facilities themselves – see above). What did I do? I returned the wine from my glass into the bottle, recorked the bottle, returned it to the retailer for a fresh one. A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE! Very pleasant bottle of Merlot at a good price…. an excellent value (see tasting note below). I went back to buy more!
2008 Ferrari-Carano Merlot
Ferrari-Carano Merlot 2008
winemaker’s notes: Select lots of grapes are chosen from our vineyards in Sonoma County to create this beautifully-balanced and full-bodied Ferrari-Carano Merlot. This is a velvety wine with a complex nose of cherry cobbler, blackberry caramel and vanilla intricately woven with lingering flavors of baked berry pie, cinnamon and spice. This wine has a viscous and full mouthfeel, impressive length and velvety tannins. The fruit forward, easy drinking qualities of our Merlot make it the perfect wine to pair with any red meat course, Italian entrée, and roasted or grilled fragrantly-spiced poultry dishes. alcohol by volume: 14.3%
So my advice one more time … if you suspect TCA …. have them take it away! Don’t be afraid to speak up. Keeping a corked bottle makes no sense for you, the restaurant or retail shop, or the winery. You are doing everyone a favor by sending it back:
- Your evaluation is based on untainted wine. You can now judge whether you like it or not.
- The restaurant or retailer are made aware of the issue. They can inform the distributor (who will inform the winery), while keeping you as a customer.
- The winery can make appropriate changes to decrease the likelihood of corked bottles.
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Special Interest never “at rest”
Albany courtesy Ryan Mori
When it comes to regulations, special interest is never “at rest”.
Recently there has been a lot of discussion about regulations in reference to the US economy. The logic is that regulations in just about any form hurt business, reduce jobs, and cost the nation dearly as a result. Now the reality is that Capitalism without any regulation doesn’t work very well. Corporations are in the business of building wealth for their shareholders (and in so doing often build tremendous wealth for their corporate managers).
Now … nothing wrong here – that’s what Capitalism is all about. However, if there is no regulation at all than the focus on wealth becomes the driving force to the exclusion of responsible citizenship; that is, anything goes just as long as the company is optimising profits. There are numerous examples of corporate greed that cause enourmous harm from the catastrophe in the New York garment industry in 1911 to the recent banking fiasco that contributed to a worldwide recession.
So you would think that government would focus on strong regulations where certain protections for the public are warranted, but do their best to eliminate regulations where they are not needed.
OK…. someone help me here! If regulations are so detrimental to our nation, why do lawmakers in Washington, D.C. and in the States continue to avoid regulations that are needed (one example: the current rush to drill for natural gas called “fracking” is exempt from the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts – it may be safe, but how can we know if no one is watching out for the general public?), while focusing on special interest legislation that is not?
I have written before regarding Bills HR 1161 as well as its predessor, HR 5034. Both bills are backed by special interests in an effort to reverse past Supreme Court rulings that pit the Interstate Commerce Clause against a State’s ability to discriminate between in and out of state alcohol interests. Here supporters of 3-tiered distribution are working hard to ensure that the monopoly they have enjoyed since the 21ist Amendment was passed continues.
In this blog I’d like to highlight a new special interest effort in the State of New York called “at rest“. First some background.
The New York City is currently served by two major wine distributors and dozens of smaller distributors. The major distributors warehouse their wine inventory in New York. The smaller distributors typcially warehouse the wine in New Jersey where the cost of storage is cheaper. Irrespective of where the wine is held, it is available for immediate purchase and delivery to New York customers. Because there are numerous distributors in the area, New York enjoys a much larger choice in the wines it purchases and can do so at better pricing. You know … that element in Capitalism called competition?
So how best to reduce competition? Simply have the large distributors use their influence to get law makers to change the playing field. How you may ask? Elementary … by requiring all wine sold in New York City to be warehoused in New York for a minimum of 48 hours. Yes … you guessed it! The major distributors can comply but all of the smaller distributors will not be able to sell their wares – many will no longer be able to service New York.
Well you say that there must be benefit to the citizens or the State of New York, right? No .. this change will not have any beneficial effect on the citizens of New York. Actually it will likely result in price increases, less choice, and loss of jobs. However, it will setup a great monopoly for the two largest distributors!
If you are a citizen of New York I urge you to sign a petition saying no to “at rest”.
To read more about this special interest wine legislation, visit Jancis Robinson.com and read “Protest against NY’s ‘at rest’ move”.
And while your at it … let’s all focus on getting money out of politics. Its time our lawmakers focused on building a strong nation instead of supporting the will of those that finance elections.
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Tug-a-war between small and big business with consumers in the middle
Litchfield News Logo
I see stories such as Wine merchant petitions against Sunday sales bill quite frequently. The focus often is on special interests – a virtual tug-a-war between small and big business with consumers in the middle. In this case the focus is primarily on Sunday sales of wine in Connecticut. Whether Sunday sales, increased liquor licenses, sales of wine and beer in grocery stores, or direct shipment of wine from out of state retailers or wineries, the rhetoric becomes quite heated. Sometimes quite justified, but not always.
(To get a better perspective regarding the pro and con elements, here are two stories – the first, Uncork Ban On Sunday Alcohol Sales in the Hartford Courant for changes to the current alcohol regulations in Connecticut, and the second – Liquor sales rally to be held from WNTH News 8 speaking to small liquor stores against the legislation. )
Large and small business have their plus and minuses. Large businesses can help to provide access, choice and best price. Small business creates many of the jobs and support mechanisms in the community as well as more passion and knowledgeable help.
The arguments for big business are clear – more licenses and more hours translates into more volume and more volume typically translates into higher margins and profits. Small business has trouble competing since they have neither the resources (financial / personnel) nor the volume to compete directly. A great example here is Walmart, which has huge economy of scale. (Don’t know about you, but if I see “MADE IN CHINA” much more I am going to scream… not wine related but relevant to this issue:-).
On the other hand, protection of small business interests in the face of changing market or economic conditions is often not viable long term considering available alternatives. One example: if one state protects its small business operators by not allowing wine on Sundays, but adjoining states do not, business (tax revenues) are lost to the adjoining states (and sales to out of state stores). This is also the case where one state charges a high sales tax and the adjoining state(s) charges less or no sales tax.
So the tug-a-war between small and big business continues.
Consumers as usual are caught in the middle. We want what we want when we want it … and we want it at a good price. We also want good advice from knowledgeable people, good value, and lots of choice. And, we are not all the same. Some are happy buying anything at the lowest price, while others are searching only for fine wines where price is much less in consideration. Yes .. we are a finicky lot.
So what is the best answer when there is this tug-a-war between small and big business with consumers in the middle?
I’m not sure there is a “best answer”. There is no “one size fits all”. What we need is sensible legislation that takes into account the needs of small and big business while also considering the needs and behavior of consumers. Let’s be honest. Whether a believer in capitalism or an economic liberal, markets are complex and solutions are seldom simple … and often driven by special interests.
What’s your take? I am including a brief survey on the issue of small versus big business (please also feel free to comment). I’ll keep the survey live for two weeks and then provide the results on Wine Survey Results page.
Read MoreTime to Taste New Wines and Varieties – Part 3
Taste new wine
In a previous blog “Time to Taste New Wines and Varieties – Part 1″, I described three options to help you find and taste new wines and varieties in 2012.
The options suggested included:
- - Take advantage of wineries, new flash sites or out of state retailers that carry wines you cannot find locally to taste and try new wines
- - Travel to wine regions to taste new wines and varieties
- - Identify one or more local wine shops and/or wine focused groups as an opportunity to taste new wines
In Part 1 the first option was discussed “Take advantage of wineries, new flash sites or out of state retailers that carry wines you cannot find locally to taste and try new wines”. This option requires that your state allows DtC (Direct to Consumer) shipments from wineries and/or retailers.
In Part 2 the focus was on tips when traveling to new wine regions to taste new wines and varieties (Time to taste New wines and Varieities – Part 2)
In Part 3 the focus is on identifying one or more local wine shops and/or wine focused groups in your local area where you can taste and try new varieties nad wines.
Let’s focus first on local wine shops.
If you are simply looking to buy high volume brands (Cavit, YellowTail, Gallo, etc.), these you can find most anywhere. I suspect you will find either the most convenient store or the shop that is least expensive. By the way, although not to my taste if these are your favorites so be it. Enjoy. Don’t let anyone tell you what you should or should not like. However, if your passonate about wine and want to try and taste new wines (and you don’t drink simply to drink), then you will likely benefit greatly by trying many other producers and varieties. If you are only drinking high volume wines today, do yourself a favor and don’t think “I don’t like Merlot or I don’t like Pinot Noir, etc.”. As an example, Gallo was heavily fined in France just last year in regards to their Red Bicyclette label (Pinot Noir). It seems the INAO (Institute National d’Origine et Qualite) was aware that the volume sold was more than all of the Pinot Noir planted in the Languedoc region. Come to find out the grapes in the bottle weren’t only Pinot Noir. There was a significant amount of cheap Merlot and Syrah blended in.
Additionally, many of these high volume wines are designed to be consistent year after year. What I am saying is that they are engineered to taste a certain way – which may or may not fairly represent the best qualities of the grape varieties on the label. It may be the same grape, but the quality of the fruit, the style of the wine maker, the vinification and the aging will offer significant differences in the final product.
So getting back to how to find a good wine shop. All of the above are considerations, but likely the most important to you should be finding a local shop where you can identify someone in the shop that is very knowledgeable, helpful, and enthusiastic about wine. The owner or wine manager should be able to suggest several wines based on your preferences. Now that said, no one can help you find “the red wine my friend brought over two years ago. She said it was from France.” Or, “I had a white wine and I think the label started with an “O”. However, if you can name some wines you have tried lately that you liked and/or talk about the type of wine you like … “fruity / not fruity, spicy / not spicy/ earthy/not earthy, sweet / not sweet, sparkling / not sparkling, etc.”, there is a good chance he/she can suggest something that should be similar.
One caveat: I often ask people what they think of a wine. Keeping in mind that everyone’s palate is different and that tasting is subjective, I often get answers that at the very least surprise me. Some will describe a full bodied wine as “earthy”, while others will describe a fruity wine as “sweet”.
Now once you have identified a wine shop(s) where you feel comfortable asking for recommendations, now its time to ask about new wines to try that may not be in your comfort zone. Some examples: if you drink Chardonnay primarily from California, try some from France or Australia. Or better still, ask for a recommendation regarding a Viognier. You may also want to try a Torrentes from Argentina, an Abarino from Spain (Alvarinho from Portugal), Arneis from Italy, Muscadet Sevre et Maine from France, Vinho Verde from Portugal, or a Rousanne or Marsanne from the Rhone region in France (or from San Luis Obispo county in California), Riesling (from Germany, Alsace, Australia, New York), or Gruener Veltliner (Austria), or Chenin Blanc (Loire Valley or South Africa). The point is that there are hundreds of varieties to try. Some of these can be expensive, but many (such as Vinho Verde) are very inexpensive and very interesting wines.
Another important criteria is whether the wine shop hosts its own tastings and/or sponsors tastings with other businesses. No one likes to buy a bottle of wine that is not to their likeing. Having an opportunity to try a wine before you buy is very beneficial. Any good wine shop will have weekly or monthly tastings (often on a Friday evening or during the weekend). These small tastings are normally free of charge and offered specifically to introduce you to various varieties and brands.
Some may also have larger local seminars where the wine maker or a representative will walk an audience through a tasting of their wines. These webinars are often at no cost (or very small cost) and the wines are often offered at discount.
Obviously, price and selection are important. However, they should be secondary to finding someone knowledgeable to work with. Often you will find differences in cost from one wine shop to another. These differences often have to do with the volume of wine bought from the distributor, i.e., a very small shop may have to charge a higher price than a larger shop that can get a better discount from its distributor. Keep in mind that many of these shops are small businesses. If you like the people and the service, help them stay in business by buying from them.
You may also find that one shop has a great selection of wines from Argentina, while the shop down the road specializes in wines from California and Washington state. In this case you may want to spread your buying over more than one shop. But again, the key is having someone who can alert you to try and taste interesting wines.
So where can you learn about other local wine events?
LocalWineEvents.com
There are several ways. First, ask your wine advisor .. yes the person you ask for wine recommendations. He/she should be aware of all of their events and likely will also be aware of events in the area. Another way is to sign up with sites that allow you to indicate your location and then send you notifications of all activities in your area. Local Wine Events is good place to start. Registration is free. You will recieve periodic emails that contain local events as well as wine questions and quizzes to test your knowledge (or simply learn more about wine). If you visit the site, it will provide a list of local BYOB restaurants, wine shops, wine education/schools, wineries, wine groups and more. You can also friend LocalWineEvents on Facebook or follow them on Twitter, or if you have a mobile phone, you can download the Local Wine Event mobile app for iPhone or Android.
You may also want to try RetailMeNot for discounted coupon codes or a myriad of specialized sites that deal with wine and food events in your area. An example is Wine-Expos.com that provides details of wine expos in Newport, RI, Boston, Washington, D. C. and New York. You can also get listings of not only wine tasting events, but wine education as well at Totalwine.com.
Finally, if you are into wine and would like to meet like minded people, you can join or start a wine focused group on sites like Meetup. On the other hand if you have several friends that would also like to learn more, consider starting a wine tasting group locally. Should you decide on this option, here is some advice that might be helpful:
- If one of the people in your planned group is very knowledgeable, you may want to ask that person to help you decide where to start. If all are about the same level of knowledge, then you can ask your local retailer for some ideas or simply agree as a group on what would be of most interest to the group – a particular grape variety, a region, a style of wine, etc.
- Keep the numbers down to a max of 10 if possible. Larger numbers mean you can try more wines, but the tasting itself can get confusing.
- Use a good wine glass. This doesn’t need to be expensive. It should be fairly thin glass and it should be shaped so that the bowl is larger than the rim of the glass. It should also be clear rather than etched.
- Decide on how you want to taste the wines. There are pros and cons with each. I often will setup blind tastings, but I try to keep the ensuing discussion simple – Which wine did you like the best? Why? Which wine did you like the least? Why? This allows everyone to participate without feeling they are “wrong” or a poor taster. As time goes on once everyone is comfortable, then expand to what kind of wine do you think it is? How old do you think it is? Where do you think it comes from? ….
- In terms of cost, the simplest way is to set a budget and split it by the number of people at the tasting. It doesn’t have to be exact. If the budget is not fully spent at this tasting, you can buy a bit more at the next session. Take advantage of your local advisor to suggest a number of wines for the tasting. Another option is to set a target bottle price and region or variety, and have everyone bring a bottle. I prefer the first method. I find that if everyone brings a bottle they will often bring one that they are comfortable with rather than expanding the options for the group. However, either can work.
- You can choose from a variety of options for the tasting: wines from a particular region, wines made from a particular variety from the same or multiple regions, or horizontal tasting. Or, try a vertical tasting – wines from the same variety and producer from different years. You can also try tasting new versus old world wineries or flights of white versus red, sparkling, dry, or dessert.
- I tend at least at the first few tastings to avoid cards or similar since it can make people feel uncomfortable.
Bottom line…. have fun with it and don’t worry about “right or wrong”. The federal Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) recognized 260,000 in 2010 (sold in the US).
So much tasting to do …. and so little time!
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Time To Taste New Wines and Varieties – Part 2
Taste new wine
In my previous blog “Time to Taste New Wines and Varieties – Part 1″, I described three options to help you find and taste new wines and varieties in 2012.
The options suggested included:
- - Take advantage of wineries, new flash sites or out of state retailers that carry wines you cannot find locally to taste and try new wines
- - Travel to wine regions to taste new wines and varieties
- - Identify one or more local wine shops and/or wine focused groups as an opportunity to taste new wines
In Part 1 the first option was discussed “Take advantage of wineries, new flash sites or out of state retailers that carry wines you cannot find locally to taste and try new wines”. This option requires that your state allows DtC shipments from wineries and/or retailers. As of the first blog, 38 states allowed direct to consumer shipment. I am happy to tell you that a 39th state (New Jersey) has passed legislation to allow direct to consumer shipments. (On a side note, Representative Kurt Schrader (D) Oregon has withdrawn his sponsorship of the CARE Act HR1161 – great news.)
We’re making progress!
In Part 2 let’s focus on the second suggestion, “Travel to wine regions to taste new wines and varieties”.
Southern New England Coastal Wine Trail
First, you don’t necessarily need to travel to far off places in order to try new wines. All 50 states now have wineries that you can visit and many may offer varieties that you have yet to try. For instance, in Southern New England you can follow the Coastal Wine Trail which stretches from Westerly, Rhode Island to the tip of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Keep in mind that not all wineries produce Vitis Vinifera wines although many wineries will purchase grapes that cannot be grown locally and offer these wines along with locally grown based wines. Some may offer only locally produced or fruit wines. In any case, lots of options to explore.
If visiting wineries in North America often there is no need for a reservation, but you should confirm this by calling ahead or by checking locally before the visit. As an example, there are many wine alliances or similar organizations that provide information about the wineries in their AVA or Region such as the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance that will have a listing of the wineries, location and often a description of the wines offered.
If on the other hand you plan on visiting international wineries, plan on making a reservation for a visit. Although some wineries are open during certain hours each day, many require a reservation. This may seem to be an annoyance, but the benefit is that you often will have the owner or winemaker pouring the wines and hosting a tour. One exception is that in some wine regions you will find cooperative tasting rooms. One example is in Gigondas in the Southern Rhone where you can stop in the center of town to taste. There are dozens and dozens of well made Cote de Rhones offered, both white and red. However, in order to remain neutral, the pourer will ask that you choose the wines you would like to taste. Simply indicate the type of wine you like – fruity, earthy, spicy, etc., and he/she will suggest several to choose from.
When is the best time to visit? That will depend upon what you are looking for … visiting off season means less crowds and more time to spend with the winery. Harvest time is very busy and often more crowds, but there are also many festivals or local activities. Several wineries will offer special dinners or celebrations. Often there are celebrations offered at holidays (Halloween). Lastly, there are opportunities to participate in picking and/or processing the grapes. Eagles Nest Winerey in Ramona near San Diego is a great example. Dennis and Julie Grimes offer multiple opportunities during the year to help in the harvest and vinification, design your own labels, celebrate a holiday or simply come by for an outdoor movie where Julie will serve pizza and you can purchase a bottle of their award winning wine to enjoy with the movie.
You might also consider staying at a winery or close by. For instance, in Sardon de Duero (approximately 100 miles north of Madrid) you can stay at Abadia Retuerta, where the old Abby has been fully renovated. There are many wineries in France, Italy, Germany and many other countries (including the US and Canada) that offer accommodations as well as fine food.
Abby at Abadia Retuerta
Another option for tasting and trying new wines is to take a wine or river cruise that focuses on wine. There are literally dozens of companies that specialize in wine cruises including Food & Wine Trails, Arbaster & Clarke Wine Tours Ltd. , or Fine Food and Wine Cruises. Others focus on wine river cruises such as Avalon Waterways, AmA Waterways, and France Cruises.
In any case, expect to visit no more than say 4 wineries per day, and this number should be less if you are driving. If you only like white or red, most wineries will accommodate the request if possible. Sometimes you will be offered a choice between tasting the higher volume wines versus special reserve wines. Tasting fees are sometimes free, but much more common they will range from $5 – $25 (reserve wines). Many will apply the tasting fee to the purchase of a bottle or some minimum purchase. Some will include the glass with the tasting fee.
Keep in mind that many wineries will offer six or more wines to taste, and several may offer a taste of wines not on the tasting list. The bottom line is that a visit to perhaps only two wineries could mean you are trying 12 to 20 wines. Assuming only a 1 ounce pour (29.6ml) that could be as much as 20 ounces (591.5ml) or approximately 3/4s of a 750ml bottle. Visiting 4 wineries could equate to 1.5 bottles. If these are 2 ounce pours, that’s 3 bottles of wine! Needless to say you may enjoy the wine but you won’t really be tasting much after the first few pours. So ensure you have a designated driver or hire a driver or service. These are available in every wine region
Regardless of whether you are driving or not, if you really want to “taste” new wines, practice the four S’s of responsible tasting, Swirl, Smell, Sip, Spit. Although the “spit” may seem vulgar to those who do not often visit wineries, it is the only way you can try and taste many new wines without getting tipsy. Further, many wineries appreciate the fact that you are there to taste their wines and not simply to get drunk. My suggestion: if you are traveling with a partner and you are driving (and spitting), ask for a single serving and share the taste. The winery will notice that you are there to taste their wines (and perhaps offer special wines not on the tasting list), your partner will imbib only half as much (so will be able to taste the wine), and you will save quite a bit by spending only half as much on the tasting. Getting drunk and obnoxious is not good for you or the winery. Another suggestion when visiting is to plan on a picnic since many wineries offer tables and really nice views. You can pick up a lunch at your hotel, local restaurant, on the road or at the winery ( many wineries do not offer food).
Keep in mind that wineries offer a taste of their wines as part of their business – it is the best way to showcase and sell you their wines. Although not as easy today to buy and carry the wines back as it used to be, there are many options. Here are four to consider:
- Purchase wines at the winery and have them ship them to you. This may or may not be possible depending upon where you reside. Based on the plethora of wine regulations in the US (frankly easier to buy a gun than it is a bottle of wine!), one winery may ship and another may not. Be aware, shipping from outside the US can be expensive.
- In many locations there may be other shipping options. For instance in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties in Southern California you can use Safe Haven Wine Services. In this case you buy your wine and write down the name of the winery and number of bottles bought. Do this for each winery. Provide the information to Safe Haven and they will pick up your wines and ship them to you. You can save 15% if you take the wine to your hotel and they pick it up there rather than picking up at multiple wineries.
- Your in wine country! Buy a bottle or two and enjoy with a picnic lunch or in the evening.
- If shipping is not an option but you want to bring some wine back (keep in mind that several wineries offer some wines ONLY at the winery or through their wine clubs), purchase some wine skins. You can purchase a few either before the trip or at many of the wineries. These are leak proof single bottle carriers that you can put in your luggage. I have used them several times and never had one break. But if it does, it won’t spoil your cloths. The only caveat is to watch the weight. You will find that fees on small airlines are quite restrictive and the extra weight can be costly (I purchased a lightweight Balanzza luggage scale that allows me to precisely weigh my bags.)
Trying and tasting new wines can be a real pleasure and often an experience to remember especially when combining it with a trip to some place new.
In Part 3 I’ll focus on how to find and taste new wines at local wine shops and events.
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