I know… Its about time I told you about my fabulous day trip to the Good Food and Wine Show this year. The best year yet – because I nolonger “work” in the wine industry in the traditional sense – and I got to participate as a patron.
And participating as a patron has taught me that the organisers have neglected to think of one think that serious wine drinkers /tasters need: Spittoons. Now guys if you only learn one thing from my blog, let it be this:
Spitting wine out is polite. Of course, we don’t do this at home, but Wine tasting etiquette in a sales room demands you to start spitting. Why? Because you start getting inebriated. If you are getting tiddly and trying 20 wines, you won’t be able to remember your day and the sales person will not be interested in you seriously. You will not get to try the good stuff. Why else? A Cellar Door is in no way friday afternoon free drinks. I am pro-charging for wine tastings. Boo Hoo. What is $5 to try a $100 bottle of wine?
Too embarassed? Personally I am more judgemental of a non-spitter than someone who has tried and managed to get a trophy of red wine spilled down their front. It doesnt have to be classy. Just lean over and spit it in. Or if a small bucket, pick it up by the rim if you have to and discreetly spit. A good cellar door will keep emptying it to save you the protein splash backs. [Shudders]
To appear serious to another wineo you should complete in ORDER:
- Look at the glass. Colour of wine can tell you alot more than you know. Colour comes from age, the skins, oak… The “legs” or the clear running film of wine thats slow to fall will tell you about the level of alcohol in the wine.
- Swill the wine. If you can’t manage to keep the contents inside your glass put the base on a flat surface and swill in circular motions keeping the base flat. You’ll look like a pro. Swilling opens up wine to air, oxygenation releases flavour as air excites the molecules in the wine. Its like wine porn.
- Stick your nose in. One thing that irked me is when customers bypassed the nose. If our taste is through our nose, then 80% of the enjoyment in a great wine for me is in the nose. I can spend more time wanking on about the features of the wine’s “bouquet” more than I can it’s flavour at times. The other thing is, I literally mean “stick your nose in”. Aim to get as close to the wine without touching it with your nose. To be honest and to scare you, I isolate my right nostril and only take it in with one. (I am a righty, but I can also swing to the left). I think this clarifies my sense of smell… but to be honest I have no idea if its of better benefit to anyone else but me.
- Sip. The worst part about non-wineos is when they gulp it like beer. Wine is all about mouth feel, so don’t rush it. Sip, keeping it on the front of your palate and then pull the wine through your mouth. Sucking air through the wine as it allows the layers show show different flavours. Its not a gargle but a subtle “inhale” by almost whilstling backwards.
- Spit. Don’t need to do it at home. Hell the best of us smash heads are wineos. But seriously, if you are at a winery, you look like a fool if you don’t. It has nothing to do with being a driver or having a good time. It is actually rude to swallow everything.
- Lastly, if you liked something. Buy it. If you tried everything but didnt like anything, buy something*. Its like trying on every dress in the shop and looking great in everything, flashing your credit card and not buying anything.
*The above section was changed to reflect my intended meaning not the one that came out when I rushed to the {submit} button.
At the Good Food and Wine Show, the only spittons around were the small overflowing buckets. Its disappointing that they want to be taken seriously as Australias Biggest Food and Wine Show and only offer a tiny little bucket that quickly overflows. To be honest, I was spitting in silo rubbish bins. Attractive thought…
So…. the last question of the night is – do you spit or swallow? 
I was with you till “if you didn’t like anything, buy it”.
Why?
And why bother tasting the wine at all if you’re going to buy wine whether you like it or not?
My criteria for buying is “what’s good?” not “what’s the least offensive?” — and there is so much GOOD wine out there, there’s no excuse for drinking bad wine.
I agree, but I was raised to buy the “least Offensive” as you say. At least you’ll have a few ports to give as Christmas presents to those who don’t know any better. And if you didn’t like the first one, why did you try 5 more wines? This is what I’m getting at, you try everything, you buy something.
I follow the argument, but it just doesn’t make sense to me. If I give wine as a present, I want to know people will enjoy it. So whether it’s to drink myself or to give to friends, I keep coming back to the same question: why would I intentionally buy poor wine?
I understand that you may have a different perspective because you’re from the trade so each tasting is a potential sale and you would like to make that a *guaranteed* sale, but take it back to the clothes analogy and see if it works for you. You try on a pair of jeans but they make your arse look fat. Do you want to buy them? No Do you want to try a different pair of jeans? Yes. Do they make your arse look fat too? Yes. You try another… and another…
In the end you’re not satisfied with any of them. Would you still buy them just because you’ve spent time in the shop, or would you go and look elsewhere? I’m guessing it’s the latter, otherwise you’d have a wardrobe full of clothes you’ll never wear.
I Am not talking about poor wine. By all means only buy decent wine. But don’t keep trying the whole range and not spitting if you didn’t like the first 5. This is where I think charging for tastings is great. Especially with top end limited number wines.
Oh and the irony is, most women do have a closet full of clothes they don’t wear!
I think you are being wine wanker-ish and it’s an attitude pervasive in the industry that keeps the punters drinking less challenging wine – there’s a big reason Coles and Woolies cleanskins and Yellowglen sell so well.
Sip or spitting, anyone without highly trained tasting skills will either be tipsy or be suffering palate fatigue after 20 tastings in anything under a couple of hours.
The wine industry also needs to understand that most people not exposed to spitting over a long period will find it a disgusting and sometimes stomach turning practice.
The reason you taste 5 wines and then buy nothing is by the 5th wine you’re often at the $60+ one which might be very good but most people will consider beyond their budget and yet the $20 first 4 are hohum. Why don’t we start with the $60 super premium then? Simply because then the $20 wine would taste even worse afterwards.
If you can’t make a very good wine at ~$20 then stop making wine. If people are walking out without buying anything you are likely overpriced, that’s pretty obvious really. There’s a horrible trend lately with wineries trying the “if I charge a lot then it shows my wines are great” marketing technique, but that only works if it is actually great, sadly many are delusional.
Thing is punters can walk into any DM and buy a bronze quality wine for ~$13, so the wineries must offer something noticably better if they are going to charge more, and sadly many can’t or don’t.
Thanks for taking the time to comment. You raise some valid points and it’s great to discuss these things. So true about pricing strategies. It’s only worth what someone wants to pay. Some wines are worth what is charged and some aren’t. But kudos for the winery for trying to raise the prestige. And you’re absolutely right about good $13 bottles. I don’t think I’m being wine wankerish supporting charging for tastings. I’d rather pay and taste everything. The issue with spitting at a winery tasting ? Sorry but it is etiquette and you still end up absorbing alcohol through your mouth. Even spitting. I agree there is a place on the market for yellow glen and equivalent mass produced wine and if you keep reading my stuff you’ll see that. I really appreciate your comments.
I can not tell from your comments if they currently charge for tastings. I live in California and do a lot of wine tasting in the Side ways area and Napa Valley. Years ago they did not charge and as time has progressed they all charge for tastings. Southern California wineries charge about $ 10.00 to taste all their wines, Northern California is $ 10.00 to $ 20.00. They have become like small Disneyland attractions with huge gardens, gondola chair lifts and other things to make the experience unique. My question is, we are coming to Hunter Valley in December and was looking for information on this subject. Have they gone to charging for tastings? I would be surprised if they have not.
Hi Brad – Some cellar doors will and some won’t. Until a few years ago liquor licensing didn’t permit for charging for a tasting. This is why the australian consumer doesn’t always agree with having to pay, and why some wineries won’t charge. When we started charging where I worked, there was a free tasting sheet and a charge sheet for premium wines. It was like $5 for the range, refundable on purchase. Basically we rarely charged because most people buy a bottle. Other places such as the icon lounge, may charge ordinarily more but these are amazing, special showcase wines from all over the hunter under one roof. It’s really worth it.
Thank you for the information. Looking forward to our visit and some great wine tasting. Would love to know if you have any favorite cellars to try.
Thanks again.
Brad