Solo Wine Tasting Adventure: Enhancing Your Experience

Guest Post by Jane Roberts:

Solo wine tasting adventure: With 34% of Americans preferring wine as their alcoholic beverage of choice, going on a wine tasting can be a wonderful experience for many – especially if you’re a solo traveler. No matter where you go in the world, wine tasting can be a great and immersive way to learn about regional wines and wine culture, not to mention a good way of finding a new favorite variety.

Solo wine tasting adventure: Wine and food

One of the best ways to prepare for a solo wine tasting adventure is to stock up on knowledge beforehand. For example, knowing which foods pair best with which wines can go a long way at any tasting. Not only will this allow you to get the full experience of each wine, but it can help you determine which one you might want to take home. Bringing snacks with you to the tasting itself can also be a great idea, especially if you don’t know if any food will be provided (alcohol is never good on an empty stomach) – not to mention the fact that the majority of wineries encourage you to pair wine with food, as it brings out the flavors. By knowing what foods pair with their respective wines, you’ll be able to bring along the perfect snacks – like dark chocolate for Cabernet Sauvignon, or peanuts for Chardonnay.

Sip and spit

Because there is an opportunity to try a variety of wine, sips can add up to full glasses very quickly, so it’s necessary to take the proper precautions to ensure that you don’t end up too intoxicated to enjoy yourself. This is particular important for the solo traveler, as you’ll need to make sure you can get back to your accommodation safely after the tasting. One of the best ways to remain sober is to spit out your wine. Spitting out your wine after tasting it might sound like the wrong thing to do, but it’s actually quite common at tastings. In fact, doing so can enhance your experience greatly by allowing you to experience the tastes of many different wines available without having any of the adverse effects. Not only will you save yourself from waking up with a painful headache the next day, but you’ll be able to think clearly and ask questions – and remember the answers later – while at the tasting.

Ask questions

At any tasting, it’s important to remember to ask questions when you have them. Whether it be about the vineyard, the history or the wine itself, asking your server questions is always encouraged. Not only will you learn more about wine, but your newfound knowledge can bring more value to your experience overall. Asking your server about wine-related terminology that you don’t know is also encouraged – after all, there’s no one better to ask than the experts themselves. At the end of the day, you’ll walk away having learned something new that you can use in future wine-drinking endeavors.

Wine tastings are a great way to try different wines and can be a wonderful addition to any solo traveler’s itinerary. By enhancing your solo wine tasting adventure through asking questions and pairing with the right foods, you’re sure to have a great time at any wine tasting.

Solo Trekker 4 U: Learn more about finding a solo wine tasting adventure, click here.

See Solo Travel Destinations in Wine Country France.

Feeling like doing it yourself?  See how to grow your own grapes for the ultimate “Do it Yourself!”