WHAT TO DO ON THE DAY OF THE SESSION

The optimal home tasting experience

(please remember that this is for the best experience, but please feel assured that you should do only what you feel comfortable in doing)

Glassware

We provide the samples in small bottles. It is important to taste these samples with a clean glass each time. However, you don’t necessarily need a different glass for each wine if you don’t have them. You can rinse your glassware and wipe them out between wines if you wish to. Unless you are doing a Wine & Cheese Session! Then it is best to have one glass for each wine as you will be doing a tasting exercise with all wines poured at once.

A tulip shaped glass (ISO tasting glasses are fine, ones with the same shape but larger are better in my opinion. Click here to for more information) is better for being able to distinguish individuals aromas of wine. The shape also delivers wine into the mouth in a way that is better for tasting for a broader range of wines. Even sparkling and fortified wines. There is a difference between a goblet shape and a tulip shape.

Please read ‘Glassware Myths Busted’ for more information.

A clean, unmarked glass for each wine means that you do not carry aromas and flavours of the previous wine to change the new wine.

If reusing a glass, the best practise is to rinse with clean water and wipe with a fresh and clean tea towel between wines.

How important is what the glass is made of/shape/stem vs stemless

A plastic ‘glass’ will often dull the scents and flavours of the wine. Something like a highball or a whiskey tumber may also change the perceptions of the character of the wine as it is delivered to your nose and mouth.

In making the choice between stemless vs non-stemmed glassware, please read ‘Glassware Choices’. A stem is better for assessing wine, but in a home tasting informal environment, it is a personal choice that is often dictated by what you have available.

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Food items supplied

If you have received food, such as a grapes &/or lemons in your box, please wash these items. Put grapes on a plate. Cut a wedge from any uncut lemon and add it to the plate. These will be used during your course.

Note: Please return any containers to the box and return these with the bottles.

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Now the wine!

About 2-3 hours prior or even earlier, please put you white wines in the fridge ( if you have not stored them there already) and remove them again just as the masterclass is about to start.

Make sure the tags or written labels are still on the bottles so that you can taste them in order with the group.

WARNING: These bottles may be very full and you may spill them during opening if you are not careful. The lack of a gap is to prevent oxygen from spoiling these samples. In preparation for the event, just before the start, you might like to pour a little into your glass over a sink if they are very full. A good way to tell is if you can see a gap of around 5 mm between the wine and the bottom of the lid. This will be ok for pouring as per normal.

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