How to Prepare for Wine Tasting
How to prepare for wine tasting? Whether it's your first-time wine tasting or your fifth trip to wine country, you may have asked this question while preparing for your trip. Your wine tasting itinerary is as important as picking the hotel and where to eat. Since we work in the industry and have been a part of thousands of visitors' wine tasting trips, let us offer some helpful tips for a successful visit to wine country (we hope it is Paso Robles)!
Choose the Wine Region
California has several wine regions to choose from. Each area offers different wine varietals based on the area's terroir - elevation, location, soil, and climate.
For example, Paso Robles wine country has a diverse catalog of wines due to 11 sub-regions with unique terroirs. We are known for our Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Grenache, Zinfandel, Syrah, Petite Sirah, and blends. We have white varietals, such as Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, but red varietals are most common in our region. Paso Robles' variety of wines gives visitors a plethora of options whether it is to expand their tastes or meet many preferences in a group.
To learn about California's wine regions the Wine Institute has this helpful map.
Research & Pick the Wineries
Once you've chosen a wine region, we recommend researching the wineries before visiting to create an itinerary that fits your interests and needs.
Paso Robles offers not only a variety of wine but also experiences. Wineries offer different wine tastings ranging from casual at the bar to elevated and seated service. Visitors can also find immersive, special experiences such as wine and food pairings, vineyard excursions, or behind-the-scenes tours. At Parrish Family Vineyard, we offer elevated, friendly experiences with beautiful views of our vineyard, estate wines, and house-made food offerings. We can check the boxes for those who are looking for a view, wine from estate vineyards, and food.
Once you compile a list of wineries you are interested in visiting, you may wonder how many wineries can be visited each day. We highly recommend 2-3 wineries per day as you will not be rushed and avoid palate fatigue, which is the result of sensory overload. Anticipate wine tastings to be 1 1/2 to 2 hours at each location.
Check Guidelines
Along with researching wineries, it is important to review the guidelines and policies of the wineries you would like to visit. Each winery differs on children, dogs, reservations, large groups, and outside food. To ensure your trip runs smoothly, it is wise to read the guidelines instead of being surprised about not being able to have a picnic or bring your dog.
You may wonder why there are policies. Some procedures are in place to maintain overall customer experience and safety. Other policies are required by county and state agencies because of food or alcohol service. Compliance is necessary for wineries to keep their licenses and permits.
Research Food Options
Another tip prior to visiting is to plan where you will eat as not all wineries offer food. This may be surprising, but not every winery offers cheese and charcuterie as it depends on the permit they have. Some wineries have light offerings like cheese plates and others offer picnic areas. In Paso Robles, there are a handful of wineries with full food service. Our best advice is to plan on stopping at a winery with full food service around lunchtime. At Parrish Family Vineyard, we offer a food menu featuring light bites, sandwiches, salads, and desserts. Our husband and wife team create dishes to compliment our wine tasting, so guests can enjoy the full experience while taking in the vineyard views.
We highly recommend reviewing menus prior to visiting wineries to ensure they offer what you like and can eat. If you need more options, most wine country towns, like Paso Robles, have restaurants, bistros, and delis.
Make a Reservation
We recommend making reservations at wineries regardless of time and party size. The reason is that it is another way to create a seamless visit for guests. It gives wineries the ability to prepare in advance whether it is in stocking the correct amount of wine, setting the tables, preparing the right amount of food, and bringing in an accurate number of team members for service.
If you are traveling with a large group, reservations are necessary. A large group for some wineries is 6 people. For a winery like ours, it is 8 plus guests. This varies from winery to winery, but there are very few wineries in Paso Robles able to accommodate large groups. The wineries that are able to take large groups still require reservations as tables may be limited, especially on weekends.
Speaking of weekends, below are suggestions on how far to book out a reservation for wine tasting.
Weekdays: With this being our slower time, reservations can be booked within the week.
Weekends: We recommend booking a few weeks out as this is our busy time during the week.
Busy Seasons: Wine regions have busy seasons such as April through May, September through November, festivals, and holiday weekends. For these times, we recommend booking a month or two before the visit. If it is a very popular winery, 3 months out may be best.
If you are wanting to wing it, many wineries still accept walk-ins as long as they are not busy. If you decide to do so, just be patient as wineries can get busy unexpectedly (even on a weekday).
Plan the Driving
Many wine regions, including Paso Robles, are several miles wide and rural. They feature curvy roads that add 10-20 minutes to drive times, which guests may not plan for.
One way to make your trip more enjoyable is to hire a driver and let someone who knows the area drive for you. There are tour companies (Toast Tours, Grand Cru, Elegant Image Limo) and drivers that drive your car (Destination Drivers) which are perfect for creating a more relaxing visit. Driving professionals can also assist in developing the wine tasting itinerary.
Uber and Lyft are available in most areas, but it does depend on the location. Paso Robles does have Uber and Lyft as options, but it may not be a dependable option as some wineries are in rural areas. This can impact phone reception and your ability to access the apps. Uber and Lyft can also charge higher rates for rides in wine country, so it is best to depend on these options for in-town only.
If you want to avoid driving altogether, wine countries have darling downtowns that generally offer wine tasting. In Paso Robles we have two walkable locations for wine tasting with Downtown and Tin City.
Plan on Bottle Purchases
Wine is sensitive to light and heat so it is important to consider what you will do with wine purchases when out tasting for the day. A beautiful 80°F day is wonderful for your visit but will cook any bottle of wine in the car as wine can tolerate up to 70°F. For this reason, we highly recommend thinking about how you will transport and store your newly purchased bottles as you travel. One cost-effective solution is to purchase a wine bottle carrier or an ice chest to store your wine bottles. There are even wine suitcases to keep your bottles out of light and heat's way. Whatever you choose just be sure to plan for hot temperatures during late Spring-early Fall in California.
Check the Weather
Speaking of the outdoor temperatures, one overlooked aspect of planning is checking the weather forecast. The night before leaving be sure to check the weather for the wine country you are visiting. Weather forecasts can change over a couple of days. On the Central Coast, we have micro-climates that vary. For example, Paso Robles can be 85°F with a light breeze while Morro Bay is foggy and 57°F.
At Parrish Family Vineyard, we do our best to create a comfortable environment for wine tasting by offering shade, fans, swamp coolers, AC, heaters, and blankets. Even with these accommodations, there are some days that we are still not a match for the natural elements. To help you prepare, here are a few recommendations for Paso Robles' weather seasons:
Spring & Fall: Temperatures are typically mild, but layers are encouraged to prepare for crisp, windy mornings and warm, sunny afternoons. Rain is sometimes possible in the Spring.
Summer: We prove we are the Sunshine State during this season with warm, sunny days. Expect the average temperatures to be 85°F-95°F, which means dresses, shorts, and t-shirts are best. July and August are the hottest months where 100°F days can occur. That being said even on the hottest of days our nights cool to 60°F-70°F, so a light cardigan or jacket may be smart.
Winter: The weather can be mild this time of year, but it can be frigid so it is a good idea to pack a coat. While we have been in a drought, the last few Winters have brought a lot of rain, so pack a raincoat or umbrella.
To help you stay up to speed on the weather, the National Weather Service has the most accurate forecast.
Learn & Take Notes
To round out our recommendations, one last tip for a wine country visit is to be open to learning! Each wine region and winery is different so you can learn something with each visit. There may be a new variety or blend, an unheard story, a rich history, vineyard developments, or winemaking practices. These are all things that can grow your knowledge of wine, but also your appreciation for the work that goes into the vineyard and winery.
A great way to remember the information is to take a notebook. You can organize it by wine region, winery, or wine varietal. This helps you remember the winery and the wines so you can revisit in the future, or place orders from home. There are notebooks for wine tasting, but any notebook will do. A specific notebook for wine tasting that will help grow your palate is the De Long notebook, which we have used in the past to help train our team.
No matter where you decide to visit, we hope these suggestions will help create a memorable trip. If you would like to learn more about Paso Robles Wine Country, check out this blog on why you should visit. We look forward to hosting you soon, click here to make a reservation!
