Tasting Wine
Are you a first-time tasting room visitor, or wine-lover who wants to learn more about wine? A good place to start is with the proper wine-tasting technique. The following basic steps will help you develop your palate, increase your appreciation and knowledge of wine, and fool even the most discerning wine snob!

Pour a little wine into your glass. If you're tasting whites and reds, start with the white wines, then move down the menu. Your pourer will guide you along the right path.

Color. Tilt the glass to observe the wine's color and to get an idea of the wine's age. White wines can gain deeper hues as they age; red wines tend to lose color.

Swirl the wine around, holding the glass by the stem, to areate the wine and release its aromas.

Sniff the wine by tilting and holding the glass up to your nose. It's not necessary to actually inhale the wine itself; just let the aromas fill your nose. Different varietals give off different aromas; what do you smell?

Sip the wine so that you can appreciate the full flavors; different parts of your toungue will register different tastes; the sides of your mouth will register the tannins in red wines.

What do you taste? Is the wine dry or sweet? Are the flavors balanced with the alcohol? More important, do you like it?

Wine Tasting Etiquette: Beit's quite alright to spit your wine into the bucket on the counter. Feel free to sip some water or eat a cracker between tastings to cleanse your palate. You don't need to rinse your glass between every tasting.

Finally, don't feel inadequate if you don't smell or taste everything described in the tasting room menu. The most important thing is that you enjoy the wines you're tasting and have an enjoyable experience in the tasting room. Cheers!