What I Carry With Me to a Wine Tasting

Wine friends, have you ever found yourself visiting a tasting room or halfway through a vineyard tour, and realized you forgot something at home? Today I’ll give you a sneak peak into my ideal wine-tasting carry.

The list below is my standard kit, and considers everything from taking tasting notes to preventing a sunburn. Regardless of what you choose to bring, always consider tip #0 to keep your personal carry comfortable; your trip won’t be very fun if you hate lugging around that backpack! If you’re hitting up just one or two wineries, then I’d recommend carrying less. However, for those of you want a challenge and perhaps a bit more variety (I once visited 15 tasting rooms in a single day…), then these are my top ten things to bring to make the most out of your journeys:

1. A simple backpack or smart tote bag to carry your gear in. I prefer an uncomplicated drawstring satchel: they’re small, inexpensive, and are easily carried. Decent ones can carry up to 4 bottles of wine too (never leave your purchased wine behind in that hot, sweltering, parked car!)
2. Something to take tasting notes with – a book and pen are best, and make it easy to remember which wines you liked during those return visits.
3. Water. Everyone gets thirsty, and having your own on-hand is faster then asking a server for a glass.
4. A ziplock to put tasting notes in. It may seem unnecessary, but this one has single handedly saved me on many occasions from losing years worth of notes! Think about the rain, snow, or a leaking water bottle. I consider this a must-bring!
5. Sunglasses and sunscreen. A vineyard tour may be included with your tasting, and you never know hot it is out there until you’re standing between the vines. Since I’m a ginger, I never go anywhere without my sunscreen.
6. A book to read. Sometimes tours and tastings can get delayed, so something to keep you occupied is always smart. When the tasting is over, there’s nothing more relaxing than kicking back with a good book and glass of wine.
7. I leave a pair of shoes in the car if I am wearing sandals (depends on the weather). Many wineries give tours of their vineyards or production facilities, and you don’t want to be caught accidentally wearing open toed shoes. One can always call ahead to ask if closed toe shoes are required for a tour, but an extra pair in the trunk never hurts.
8. I always bring an extra shirt as well. You never know when someone will spill wine on you; or worse: that rare occasion when a small drop of Pinot splatters back during a pour, or as you’re spitting into the dump bucket. It also serves a second purpose as padding, when you carry a few bottles together in your tote.
9. Your phone charger or a backup battery. Some wineries are located in cellular dead areas (either in remote locations or underground), which can drain your phone battery fast. Those long wine trips on the road when you need directions don’t help either; this has saved me more than a few times.
10. Last, but not least, bring some headphones. Other than a ziplock bag and a wine tasting notebook, this is my most important item. Have you ever been in a tasting room that is so loud you can’t hear yourself think? This can have a negative effect on your tasting, and I easily combat it with headphones. Trust me, bachelorette parties are awesome, but also usually loud (if they’re going well), so quite often the only way to block out the unwanted noise is with your very own “wine playlist.” Yes! You read that correctly: I have my personal wine tasting playlist, and I recommend you do the same. It will change the way you taste.

P.S., as a bonus (consider this #11), I also recommend you bring a light jacket or sweatshirt; those barrel rooms can be quite cold!