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Step 1
Navigate your way around the tasting room properly. It's proper etiquette to engage the greeter and follow his direction. This person will offer up any information about what is happening at the winery and where you can get the wine tasting guide for the day.
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Step 2
Review the tasting notes (or menu) provided by the greeter before you go to the pouring station. Try to have an idea about which wines you want to taste before you approach the server to avoid monopolizing his time with your decision-making.
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Step 3
Approach the tasting bar and greet the staff member who will assist in explaining the wines. It's okay to ask the person questions about the varieties and what you might prefer that might not be on the menu. However, it's poor etiquette to make her open up an inordinate amount of bottles that are not featured on the tasting list.
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Step 4
Listen to the wine expert discuss each wine and ask questions. Show an interest in the flavor, aroma and color of the wine and how it is grown. It is in very poor taste to show signs of being there simply for a drink, ignoring the details the expert has to offer about the vineyard.
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Step 5
Focus on tasting wines about which you want to learn. It's perfectly acceptable to skip any of the wines offered on the tasting list. If you encounter one you do not care for, you don't have to finish what's in your glass.
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Step 6
Use the water provided in a wine tasting room to clear your palate or to rinse your glass. Rinsing the glass helps when the tasting moves from whites to reds or to dessert wines. Most tasting rooms have a decorative container set out, so you can empty the contents of your glass before moving on to the next taste.
