Wine Touring in California — Part 1
Prearranged Personal Visits
Perhaps the pinnacle of the wine touring experience will be found in prearranged personal visits with individual winemakers or winery personnel. At this level commercial interests give way to the sharing of knowledge. Most winery people are enthusiastic about the special things they do to distinguish their wines and are eager to share every aspect of their procedure with truly interested wine lovers who might become fans (and repeat customers) of their winery.WINE TOURING ETIQUETTE
1. In every case, a touring party should never leave a winery without making a purchase, if the opportunity exists. Wineries are not non-profit public service organizations. Purchases should be appropriate to the level of "bother."2. When at a tasting room counter, be sensitive to the needs of others around you. It's very easy to engage tasting room personnel in conversation, oblivious to other tasters waiting for attention.
3. If you want to taste wines not offered, don't hesitate to ask; but be sure to make a purchase.
4. Don't think twice about using the dump bucket or spitting out into a floor receptacle. Winery staff do it constantly. The whole point of wine tasting is to experience the wine, not to become inebriated and no winery personnel will be offended by such practices.
5. Not strictly a matter of etiquette, but important: Rinse out your tasting glass when going from red to white or from sweet to dry, or at any other time you think appropriate. For example, if you've been tasting dry reds and are moving to a white dessert wine, a rinse is definitely in order.
The articles ahead will focus specifically on wine touring in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and the Sierra Foothills regions - California's new cutting edge.
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