Take a Trip to Wine Tasting Country with Us

Are you one of those people that take your wine very seriously? This is destination for you. BeerNWineTours offers all of the latest tour information, guides, and reviews for wine tours across the county.

Start Planning your Wine Tasting Tour Today

We know that just like us, you take your wine tasting seriously and it’s never too early to start thinking about your next winery trip. We have an extensive list of all the most important information you’ll need when planning your wine tasting and vineyard tour. In our directories, you’ll find information on wine tasting tours ranging from the Finger Lakes of upstate New York to the famous grape fields of California.

Winery Reviews

Maybe you’ve been to all the wineries in your area and are looking for somewhere new to try or perhaps you’ve never been on a wine tasting tour but weren’t sure where to start. Our Winery Reviews is that place. We offer a comprehensive overview of wine country tours across the United States detailing the overall experience of each along with little pieces of information found no where else.

 

Is there a particular winery or vineyard that you find simply heavenly and want to let others know about it? Well, here is your chance. Email us with your own reviews of your experience at your latest wine tasting trip.

 

How to Properly Taste Wine on a Tour

You’re standing inside the tasting room of a winery and the server pours you a small amount of wine in your glass. What do you do now? You could always just drink it in one big gulp but then you’ll miss out on all the great intricacies wine has to offer as while as drawing the ire of the wine lovers around you. You can also try to pay attention to how the other people in the room are drinking their glasses. That’s no fun either since you’re just drinking the wine like them just to imitate without knowing the reasons behind the sniffing and the swirling.

A good wine is more than a quick swallow. You’re drinking wine, not shots of tequila. Many people don’t realize there is much more to judging the quality of a wine than just the taste. You also want to pay attention to the smell and its color and characteristics.

Here is our guide on how to properly taste wine along with an explanation of how it’s done.

· Look at it – Choose a wine and pour it an appropriate wine glass. Take a nice, long look at the full glass. Don’t just glance at it either. Take a really good, in-depth look. Study the color of the wine. I’m not talking about the red if it’s a red wine or white or blush. You’re looking for the deeper colors within.

A red wine depending on the type will contain traces of maroon, purple, ruby, garnet, red and even a touch of brown. The same holds true for white wines. It can be found with an appearance of clear, straw-like, golden, light green and pale yellow.

Look at the glass of wine once again. Try to notice its opacity. This means you’re looking to see if the wine is clear, cloudy, transparent or opaque. I recommend holding your glass with a slight tilt, and then give it a small swirl. How is the wine’s color, clarity, brilliance now? You can usually tell the relative age of a wine through this trick since older red wines tend to be more translucent than younger ones.

· Smell it - Smell is one of those aspects of wine drinking that everyone knows you’re supposed to do but no one is quite sure how to correctly smell the wine. The aroma of a good wine is an indicator of the quality and the characteristics which make that particular wine unique.

First off, let me remind you that your sense of smell is often underrated when properly analyzing a glass of wine. First off, gently swirl your glass gently to stir up the wine’s natural aromas. Now, take a sniff for a wonderful aromatic experience.

After you’ve finished your initial first impression sniff, it’s time to do it again. This time you want to get your nose really in that glass for a deep and rich whiff. On this second attempt of smelling your glass of wine, pause to let it flow through your nose and try to smell the ingredients like oak, berry, flowers, vanilla and even, citrus.

As you’re talking to your fellow wine connoisseurs in the winery, perhaps about the wonderful aroma of the particular glass of wine you are enjoying, continue to swirl it gently in the glass so the aromas continue to mix. Smell away at the wine’s sweet-smelling indulgence.

· Taste it – You’re now at the very best part of the wine tasting experience – tasting the wine! Take a small sip and let the wine flow around your tongue. Stop to take an initial impression. Purse your lips allowing for a small breath of air in to mingle with the wine. This is often referred to as swirling and lets you all those wonderful flavors more fully.

Now as you are concentrating on the flavors of the wine, what do you taste? With a red wine, you’ll notice more of berry, woody and bell pepper taste. With whites, you’ll find touches of apple, floral and citrus flavors.

Lastly, pay attention to the wine’s finish. Was there a lingering flavor to it after you swallowed or nothing at all? Different wines you’ll find are light-bodied while other have the consistency of milk and are a little fuller.

These rules don’t only apply for winery tours. Every time the wife and I enjoy a bottle of wine, this is how we treat nearly every glass. Grab a corkscrew and a bottle, get something good in your glass, and enjoy the excellence in every sip.