Wine tasting season is upon us: Here are some tips
The old joke goes like this: A tourist is walking up Manhattan’s Seventh Avenue and stops a passerby to ask, “How do I get to Carnegie Hall?” “Practice, practice, practice,” the local responds, and moves on.
It’s the same in the arts, sports and any endeavor: If you practice, you probably get better; if you don’t, you won’t.
In wine too. Those with Carnegie Hall-level wine tasting aspirations, especially candidates for sommelier exams, are advised to taste six or so wines every day. (It’s not as fun as it may seem.) But even if your wine aspirations are at garage band level, regular tasting builds your memory of flavors that you enjoy and your chances of getting them again.
It’s time for tastings
Whatever your interest in wine, if you live in greater Chicagoland, you’re in luck. Labor Day kicks off our busiest wine season with retailers gearing up with the year’s best pricing, selection and wine events. Don’t take it for granted. Due to the Constitution’s 21st Amendment repealing the prohibition of alcohol, individual states and municipalities set their own alcohol controls. With choruses of “Happy Days are Here Again,” Chicagoland emerged with regulations supporting competitive trade, including discounted pricing, a variety of shopping venues and consumer tastings. (For more information, see my 2024 column about why it’s great to be a wine buyer in the Chicago area.)
In Chicago and most suburbs, wine tasting opportunities range from grocery store sampling to seated events offering a producer’s finest and rarest wines, paired with food.
Wine and food events require advance registration, so it’s time to survey retailers’ calendars now. To be clear what you’re signing up for, check registration information against the journalist’s “5 W’s”:
What is the event? A seated dinner or a walk-around nosh fest? Tasting-size portions or a steak as big as your head? These details may affect your plans, including attire. (Skip heels at walk-around events. Don’t wear white to a red wine tasting.)
Where is the event? Retailers often partner with nearby restaurants for food-oriented events, so double-check the address.
Who is moderating? Back in the 1980s when I initiated Chicago’s first winery dinners, I attracted renowned winemakers from the world’s finest properties as moderators. Winemakers have wised up since then. Consumer events are often delegated to national sales managers, local representatives or retail employees. These folks may be as knowledgeable or entertaining as a winery’s top dog, but I like to know who will be doing the talking.
When does the event begin? Why miss a welcome wine, a chance to speak personally with the winery VIP or a first course just because you mixed up your arrival time? Check details such as parking in advance.
Why is the event being held? From the host’s side, the answer is simple: sales. Night-of sales incentives may include special pricing, access to exclusive bottles or swag such as embossed glassware.
More tips
1. Be realistic about dietary restrictions. Kitchens may modify dishes to your needs but may have a hard time satisfying a vegetarian at a “steak and Cabernet” event. Check with the organizer before registering and identify yourself to the staff on arrival.
2. Don’t skip lunch! If the event begins with a welcome wine before food service and you have an empty stomach, you’ve already lost the race against intoxication.
3. Do skip cologne, odiferous lotions and even cosmetics that will interfere with aromas and flavors of wine and food. (If you must wear lipstick, subtly lick your glass edge to prevent smudges.)
4. Sign up for retailers’ newsletters to keep up-to-date on sales, special offers and wine events.
From your end, the “Why am I attending?” is individual. Maybe you’re training your palate. Maybe you want a fun evening with friends without any cleanup. Maybe you want to build memories of a fun evening with interesting conversation, enticing flavors and a unique experience inside one of America’s most dynamic industries. Because, after all, building memories is what wine is all about.
• Mary Ross is an Advanced Sommelier (Court of Master Sommeliers), a Certified Wine Educator (Society of Wine Educators) and a recipient of Wine Spectator’s “Grand Award of Excellence.” Write to her at food@dailyherald.com.