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- BBB - 08-18-1999
I was recently in the Alsace trying to expand my knowledge (braking away from South Africa) of wines.
At some of the Domains I had to ask for a small bucket to pour the remaining wine I did not want to finish (swallow). In other Domains a spittoon was present at each table. At these domains it was clear (observing the other patrons) that it was not just common practice to pour the remaining wine out, but not to even swallow the wine.
What is the most common practice for wine tasting and why?
- Thomas - 08-18-1999
The obvious reason for pouring out the taste (or spitting) is so as not to consume a lot of alcohol when you are tasting a lot of wine. It takes practice, but you can truly taste wine without swallowing it; us judges do it all the time.
Of course, in a wine tasting room at a winery there is no rule or particular practice, but a winery is best advised to provide dump buckets and to encourage minimal, if any, swallowing.
- Tabby - 08-18-1999
As Jancis Robinson once said, it is quite possible to be a wine taster and at the same time be teetotal!
- Randy Caparoso - 08-18-1999
Etiquette has a lot to do with it. Generally speaking, use of spittoons is common in tasting rooms around the world; and so asking for one certainly is neither unexpected nor impolite.
However, if you're traveling in certain wine regions (especially when off the beaten track) where you happen to come upon the owner or an old time winemaker, strike up a rather personal conversation, and then he or she starts to open up rather special wines from the cellar (or "treasure"), then the situation dictates that you drink and enjoy every drop. If fact, even if you can't drink it, it might be impolite to refuse it (which is a good reason to be accompanied by a teetoler). All this is common sense.
And if you're traveling in Australia or parts of Germany you have to be extra diligent. I've met a number of winemakers Down Under and up there who consider it good form to enjoy a good, strong beer before (or after) serious wine tasting. Lo to those who balk. If you're interested in making friends and acquaintances as much as exploring the grape, it's always best to acquiesce to the custom.
[This message has been edited by Randy Caparoso (edited 08-18-99).]
- Thomas - 08-19-1999
Randy reminds me of the time my wife and I visited Napa in the late seventies. I had worked on the visitor presentation film at Beaulieu Vineyards and so I made an appointment with Leigh Knowles, president of the company, to talk about updating the piece.
Gracious and warm, Mr. Knowles opened a bottle of Riesling (10 A.M.) while we talked. I noticed, however, while my wife and I sipped to be polite, he only sniffed what was in his glass. And when he opened the second bottle he still had the contents of the first in his glass, which he sniffed until lunch time, and our departure.
We went right back to the hotel to fall asleep.
- n144mann - 08-19-1999
Well, I have to admit to learning about this subject the hard way. I went to my first tasting......about 150 wines being offered....and dug right in.....busily jotting notes down in my journal as I went.
I tasted and swallowed each wine....not drinking nearly all of what was offered at each turn, but not spitting any out either, except for the occasional one that I really disliked. Man, did my notes go downhill!!!!
Darn that low alcohol tolerance of mine....<laugh>
Even tho I made it through only a small fraction of the wines, it was simply WAY too much alcohol to ingest. To any beginners, I would highly recommend spitting it out....it is hard enough to judge the wines, without having all of your senses dulled by the alcohol.
Nancy
[This message has been edited by n144mann (edited 08-19-99).]