Wine tasting rooms are a fantastic place to enjoy sipping a glass of vino! Where else can you relax, be catered to, and learn a thing or two from the very craftsmen who grew the grapes? Unfortunately too many would-be enthusiasts see these boutiques as solely bachelorette party stops, destinations to live out their “Catalina Wine Mixer” fantasies, or are simply too intimidated to wring the most out from their visit.

Are you a bit intimidated by a crowded or pretentious-appearing tasting room? Are you new to wine tasting, or unfamiliar with proper “tasting etiquette?” Don’t be! We start somewhere, so let’s start together now! There is no single “correct way” to taste wine. Ask questions from your sever, and certainly discuss the “watermelon-ly” notes you taste. Always remember that tasting is largely subjective.

However, there are some behaviors that may call negative attention to your party or hamper the discussion with your server. If you want the most out of your tasting experience, I always recommend avoiding these seriously rookie-level mistakes:

1. Don’t quote from the movie Sideways! You’ll know the line I am talking about. Paul Giamatti’s lines don’t get funnier the thousandth time your servers hear them; they’ve it all before (trust me). Oh, and some of the best and most expensive wines in the world are made with Merlot.
2. Don’t bring coffee to sip on between tastings. While that cup’o’Joe may satiate your caffeine addition, it will also overpower your taste receptors and definitely prevent you from picking up that “hint of blackberry” on an otherwise fantastic $40 Pinot. Coffee is also very aromatic, and having a single cup (especially freshly brewed) in the tasting room can easily ruin other patron’s tastings.
3. Oh, speaking of your nose: DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT soak yourself perfume or cologne before heading to the tasting room. Frankly I recommend not wearing any at all! This is my personal greatest bugaboo, and unfortunately it happens all the time. This also applies fragrant lotions or body sprays. I once got a headache just standing next to an overly-aromatic stranger… they could have overpowered a bucket of ammonia!
4. Don’t smoke before tasting. The smell lingers on your clothes, impedes others people’s tasting, and destroys your sense of taste.
5. Don’t bring food from outside into the tasting bar. Some places might allow it, but as a courtesy to others around you, take it to a table or outside. Most wineries provide taste-neutral crackers to snack on while preserving your palette, or may sell you hand-selected plates of snacks which compliment the wine. These are best, and you can check the room’s website, Yelp page, or call before you travel to confirm what’s available.
6. Don’t chew gum or dip tobacco while you are tasting. You might think this is common sense, but I have seen both (not at the same time though… yet).
7. Don’t be that person who “only drinks reds!” Try to stay open to at least sipping everything; you might discover some new flavors! More than once I’ve been surprised by something I initially prejudged – i.e., screw-tops are no good, I didn’t think I’d like dry Rieslings, I only like whites, etc. If you don’t like the wine after a slip, note the flavors and pour your glass out in the dump bucket. Don’t be afraid to use the dump bucket… that’s what it’s there for!
8. Don’t be that guy or gal that knows “everything” about wine. The tasting room experience isn’t the time to flaunt your knowledge of wine, but rather to gain more insight and understanding of the wines offered. Ask questions. We can all learn something!
9. Don’t fill your own glass. In many states, this is breaking the law. Best to leave it to the servers behind the bar.
10. Last but not least, keep all bodily fluids to yourself. I will let you (the reader) decide on how to best interpret this.

Tasting wine is all about the experience! I hope yours is the best it can be, and don’t be too upset if you catch yourself telling a server, “sorry, I only drink reds.”

Just don’t scream out that you’re going to leave after your friend orders that Merlot.