There’s nothing quite like travelling across the region, getting to know more and more about wines- your favourite beverage. It’s quite the experience, that’s for sure but as the day goes by and more and more tastings are conducted, it’s safe to say that more than a few mistakes are made as guests begin to get slightly tipsy. As a beginner trying out these tours for the first time, here’s a little guide on mistakes to avoid:

Behaviour

Most first timers come to a tasting under the impression that it operates similarly to a bar, which is why some of their behaviour is often seen to be disrespectful to employees. There is no being loud to get the attention of an employee, no shoving your glass around and it is definitely not a place to be acting drunk or falling over. Tastings are sophisticated events so you need to be able to handle your consumption. The only way to do this is to give up on some of the wines you’ll want to be tasting or perform the sneaky manoeuvre of spitting back.

No Questions

You come to one of the finest Yarra valley wineries and you have no questions to be asked? That simply won’t do. A tasting is not just an opportunity to drink more wine but also an incredible chance to learn more about them and expand your knowledge. Employees and fellow tasters welcome questions and are open to making conversation about it.

Big Parties

Wineries aim to ensure that everyone can handle themselves civilly so they usually have a policy that outlines those who arrive in big parties by bus without prior confirmation will be turned down. So make sure to call in advance and let them know how many people are coming if you’re planning on having a personal wine tasting between friends.

Leaving Bottle-Less

You need to make some arrangements for purchasing a bottle or two to take safely home as tastings are the perfect opportunity to get your hands on bottles that are only available in wineries. If you’ve travelled in from abroad, you can also arrange for the winery to ship it to you if you wish.

Not Asking For Recommendations

This step especially goes out to travellers. Why not make use of the expertise these employees have? They will know best about the wineries in their country so before you leave, make sure to ask them where you should head next. There’s a possibility they might even know of one that you didn’t know existed.

No Designated Driver

With no designated driver, you’re putting yourself and your travelling partners at risk. You’ll be visiting multiple tastings with more than one sampling each so you’ll want to prioritize your safety. Get yourself a designated driver through a reputable cab service.

A winery tasting is a great experience provided you don’t make beginner mistakes such as these. Keep these in mind on your tour and make sure to learn as much as you possibly can about your favourites- but don’t get too drunk in the process!