1. First things first, just listen to your wine expert. They will likely pour you a small glass of wine and then follow up by telling you where the grapes that made the wine were grown, what flavors you should observe when drinking the wine and what types of food the wine pairs well with. Try to actively listen and ask them any questions you may have. The wine experts in Napa are passionate about their craft and will love to educate you on the wine you have in front of you.
2. We’ll start things off by simply looking at the wine. Hold your glass at a 45-degree angle, ideally in front of something white such as a table cloth or a menu. The color of wines will change depending on age, variety of grape used, acidity, and density of flavor. The wine’s opacity will tell you about its flavor intensity, with more opaque wines having a fuller body.
3. Next, smell the wine. We recommend smelling it by putting your nose just above the rim of the glass. Smell it first without disturbing it, then a second time after swirling the wine to allow it to oxidize. Swirling the wine will help release the aromas and allow you to detect some of its more subtitle scents.
4. Now it’s time to drink! This is many people’s favorite steps but try your best not to rush it. Take small sips of your wine, swirling it around in your mouth to allow it to reach your full palette. Some wine experts will recommend aerating the wine in your mouth by sucking in some air after taking a sip. Additionally, try to continually swirl the wine in your glass between sips to allow it to oxidize. You will be amazed at how doing this will actually change the flavor of the wine between sips.
5. Be honest with your wine expert about how you like each wine. Many of them will take your feedback and bring you different wines to taste that they think you will enjoy. This aspect really adds to the Napa tasting experience, but only works well if you are being truthful about your thoughts on each wine that you taste.
6. Experiment. Repeat, and enjoy. Hopefully, you will have some sort of food with your tasting. If that is the case, try pairing your food with different wines throughout the tastings, focusing on how the wine is able to emphasize some different flavors throughout the experience.
Overall, we recommend not taking these tastings too seriously. While some wineries may be on the formal side, they welcome visitors of all types and actually enjoy educating guests who may be inexperienced.
