We are thrilled to announce that our Tasting Patio is officially open! While we are excited to welcome you back to enjoy your favourite Holland Marsh wines with us at the winery, we wanted to put together a few insider tasting suggestions for those who prefer to continue tasting from home for the time being. Keep reading below for expert tasting tips, straight from the Winemaker, that will help you get the most out of your wine tasting (at home).
Pick a Theme – When deciding which wines to add to your tasting lineup, consider choosing a theme. Think regional, grape varietal, or vintage year—just to name a few. We recommend tasting between 4 and 6 different wines, within your chosen theme, to truly make your tasting an experience. Also, be sure to taste your driest (least amount of residual sugar), and lowest-tannin wines first as this makes the most sense for your palette.
Choose the Right Glass – If you have tasted with us or other wineries before, you most likely enjoyed your tastings from a standard tasting glass. These glasses are specifically designed to optimize the aromas and flavour notes of all wines (even sparkling). While you cannot go wrong with a tasting glass, we recommend investing in some varietal-specific glassware to take your tasting to the next level. Varietal-specific glasses are excellent tasting tools, particularly for novice tasters, as they will accentuate and optimize key attributes that are unique to each wine, even to the untrained palette.
Highlight Subtleties with Pairings – One of the easiest ways to elevate your at-home tasting experience is to incorporate food pairings. When choosing your menu, it is important to consider the balance of each pairing. Meaning, that both food and wine should always compliment one another in body, acidity, and sugar content. Likewise, neither should ever overpower the other. While these are fantastic basic guidelines to follow, when it comes down to it, every palette is different. It is important to stay loyal to your own tastes, and if that means breaking the rules a bit, then go for it!
Keep it Simple – Take the guesswork out of the equation and consider ordering a tasting box or virtual tasting package from a local winery. Many vineyards are getting creative these days—us included—at finding ways to keep the wine flowing for our loyal at-home tasters. Check out our online store for more information on our Mystery Tasting Box, complete with wines, tastings notes, and pairing suggestions. Elevate your experience by adding a cheese or charcuterie box to your order. We also highly suggest making your at-home wine tastings a weekly tradition by choosing a different winery to taste each week!
Lastly, remember that tasting is a journey. Slow down, take your time, listen to your palette, savour every sip, and (of course) enjoy!
