Wine Tasting Etiquette - Have Fun In Style

Proper wine tasting etiquette will help you be polite to others and so that you can also enjoy yourself while you are there. Wine tasting events or wine tasting clubs can be a great time and should be a lot of fun when done properly. Here are a few things you will want to know whether it is your first time or you are experienced...

Wine Tasting Etiquette

There are basically three primary purposes to a wine tasting event or a wine tasting club. They are:

1. To experience new wines (obviously)
2. To meet new people
3. To enjoy yourself

So,  if you are not having a good time as attend, then you are missing part of the reason for going. These steps will help you relax, feel like a pro, and enjoy yourself.

Moderation is always a good idea. Not only can you get a little tipsy if you drink too much, but the rest of the tasters will think less of you. Why will they think less of you? Because the more you drink, the less they get. This is really a matter of common courtesy and manners. Make sure everyone gets the opportunity and they will appreciate you for it.

You may see some people spitting in a bucket. As bizarre as this may seem, this is actually proper etiquette for a wine tasting event. Some people may want to spit out the wine into the bucket for a number of reasons. It could be that they are going to sample several wines and they want to clean out their taste palate. It could also be that they have to drive afterwards and do not want to inebriated.

If you are going to use the bucket, just make sure that you are close enough to it that it does not spray others when you spit out the wine. When people get splashed on by wine coming from your mouth, that is a quick way to offend people.

Make sure that you are also appreciative of the wine, regardless of how rare or the cost of the wine. It may hurt someone's feelings if they were the one that brought the wine and you are telling others how horrible it is.

In situations where you do not like the wine, mom's advice is still the best: "If you cannot say something nice, do not say anything at all."

There are not a lot of rules you need to remember for wine tasting etiquette. It is really a matter of thinking about the needs of others.