Wine tasting experience: How to avoid disappointment

As you’d expect, we’ve been on our fair share of wine tasting over the years as professional wine producers! And we think it’s fair to say that not all wine tasting experiences are created equal. 

Whilst many of the wine tasting experiences out there are excellently run and professionally curated, there are others that may not be to everyone’s palate. 

The fact is, multiple places offer wine tasting these days: from wine merchants to gastro pubs to gift box experiences. So, naturally, it can be hard to decide on the right experience for you or your loved one.

Our criteria for judging a good wine tasting is to first look at the experience itself, and ask a few pertinent questions, then consider who you’re booking it for and see if there is a match. To help, here are some things to consider before deciding on a wine tasting – they could easily be the difference between a great wine tasting experience or sour grapes.

1. Who is running the wine tasting? 

Every wine tasting experience depends largely on the skills set of the individuals running it. So find out who will be guiding the tasting and what their professional experience is before committing your money.

2. What wines will be offered?

Check the line-up of wines you’ll be offered – especially if, for example, you’re interested in learning more about English wines or wines from a particular region. Similarly, if a loved one only likes sweet wines, they may not appreciate a tasting experience biased towards dry wines.

3. How many wines will you try?

At a good wine tasting you can expect to try multiple wines. However, if it’s too many, it’s difficult to judge them effectively. Of course, if you’re more interested in drinking the wines than evaluating them, check there’s accommodation nearby or, at the very least, public transport!

4. Where will the wine tasting experience be held?

Where your tasting is held will affect the quality of the experience and the wines you taste! For example, noisy and crowded rooms can make it difficult to concentrate properly. Strong smells can also make it hard to get a sense of the wine’s aroma. A good tasting will try to keep the environment as neutral as possible to help you get the most out of the wines. If you can find one at a vineyard itself, it’s even more special!

5. What will you bring back home with you after the tasting?

It may sound like a funny question to ask, but tastings are all about making memories – that’s why wine tasting experiences make great gifts. So if you can go home with a piece of the experience, a bottle of your choice for example, then you can share the whole event with others and create even more memories.

If you’d like any more information about our wine tasting experiences here at Three Choirs Vineyard, please do get in touch; we’re always happy to help.