5 Great Wine Tasting Tips for Your Visit to Hood River

For a place once named among the Top 10 wine destinations, you can agree with us when we say that wine tasting in Hood River is an activity you should not leave out when you visit. People are usually intimidated when it comes to going wine tasting because they think that they will be among experts and get confused by all the wine lingo that they’ve never heard before.

We’re here to disabuse you of that thought. You don’t need to know a thing about acids, tannins, vintage years and the likes to enjoy a wine tasting. Our first rule to you is to throw out all the rules you think you’ll need to enjoy wine tasting in Hood River. Wine is what you, the drinker, make of it. And everyone’s taste preferences are different so just enjoy yourself. The following 6 tips should also help.

The Swirl and Sniff Rule

Swirl the wine in your glass, lower your nose to the rim and inhale deeply and then taste your wine. Why you may ask? The swirling allows oxygen to enter your winemaking it more fragrant, and since your sense of smell plays a huge role in your taste, taking a strong whiff of the wine before tasting primes you for the flavors to expect. See? Easy!

• The Spit or Swallow Rule

This one depends on whether the quantity of wine you’ll be given. Wine tasting is a decision process and after 5 full glasses or more, you can agree with us that your decisions might become a little skewered. To battle this, smaller portions of wine are now being served for tasting. So swirl and sniff, taste and allow the wine to dance over your tongue to determine the flavor and then swallow or spit out. The decision is yours. You’ll be given the spittoon bucket for this purpose. If you don’t like the wine, you can also pour the rest of your sample into this bucket. It is acceptable as you are not expected to like them all.

• The Ask Questions Rule

Ask as many questions as you like. While some people may be experienced and know all the wines by the regions and whatnot if at some point you feel like the wine steward is speaking a strange language, ask for clarification. A little research before the tasting can also help.

• The Take Notes Rule

You can’t be expected to remember all the details of the wines you’ve had. You can go with a pen and paper and jot down notes as you go anyhow you want them. They can help you remember what you liked and what you didn’t and why.

• The Water and Small Bites Rule

Consuming solely wine on your wine tasting experience is not such a good idea. For one thing, water will help you clear your palate and also keep you hydrated on the tour. Small bites will also help highlight the flavor of the wine and keep you from feeling woozy.

After the great experience you’ll have tasting wine, why not visit us at Spa Remedease to give your body, hands, and feet the relaxation that they need? There’s a reason why we’re the highest-ranked spa in Hood River. We promise that you’ll enjoy the experience. Give us a call today!