Private Wine Tasting

I do a lot of wine tasting at various vineyards and wineries.  I take trips, like the one I’m on right now, that are specifically planned around wine tasting and visiting wine producing regions.   I really like doing it.   It’s fun to see the places where your favorite wines are produced and taste the small production lots that are only sold direct from the winery.   There are really two ways to taste wine at most wineries.  The first and most common is to visit the tasting room, pay about 10 dollars, stand at a counter and work your way through whatever they’re pouring.   I’ve found that doing it that way is not always my favorite experience.   The other way involves booking an appointment, paying about 30 dollars, sitting in a private room and tasting specific pre-selected wines.   This is how I like to do it.

 In some cases you might do a vertical of a particular label.   In others it might be several labels from the current vintage.   There is almost always an older library wine in the tasting.    There are usually higher end wines in the private tasting, but that’s not the main reason I like it.  Rather, it’s that the experience is so much better.   There is no crowd.  You have a different glass for each wine so you can compare and contrast.   The pours are also reasonably sized for a real taste, something that is not necessarily guaranteed in the tasting room.   I highly recommend spending the additional money for a private tasting.   Once you do a few of them, you won’t want to go back.   I have two of them today.   I’m already salivating.