Wine Tasting 101: How to Prepare for Your First Wine Tasting

Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, I had the pleasure and benefit of being just a short drive away from one of the most well-known wine regions in the world – Napa Valley. Since I turned 21 years old, I’ve been making regular trips to Napa and nearby Sonoma to indulge in the amazing wine this region has to offer. So naturally, I learned the basics of wine tasting pretty quickly.

Last year, I went traveling with a group of 20-somethings, and we stopped in St. Goar, Germany, for wine tasting. I was shocked that about half of our group had never gone wine tasting before. I realized then how spoiled I’d been with my proximity to Napa!Whoever said diamonds are a girl's best friend hasn't tasted wine. #winetasting #winecountry #napavalley #takeanapa #travel #wanderlust

Tasting a region’s wine provides you with incredible insight into the passion, work ethic, and food preferences of a people. It’s an amazing part of travel, one that should absolutely be experienced in region after region, all over the world.

Here’s a little “Wine Tasting 101” insight into how to properly go about your first wine tasting. Commit it to memory and you won’t stick out…even if you’re tasting with wine veterans!

How to Taste Wine_Wine Tasting 101 Infographic

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Have you ever been wine tasting? What was your favorite wine varietal? Let me know in the comments below!