Attend A Wine TastingOr Plan Your Own, Fun & Romantic!A wine tasting is a great way to share some quality time together. These days it's often more of a social gathering than a lesson in wine, so you may come away with new friends as well. The first time my wife and I attended one of these we had a great time! Even though it was a fun evening, my wife ended up calling in sick the next day. We still laugh about that night. My wife wasn't a big wine drinker, so this was a perfect way for her to sample some of what I enjoyed while we shared a fun evening out. It was informal, informative, and fun. The one we attended was a gathering of about 25 people. We sat at big round tables with fruit and crackers and, of course, wine. A host from an area vineyard talked about his wines and introduced us to a few specific bottles he offered. We listened and tasted and learned and ended up finding a wine we still enjoy today. In fact, we are still planning a tour of the vineyards in Northern Michigan one of these summers. How To Plan A Wine Tasting Date If you know where there is a tasting in your area, call them and get the details. You'll want to know where it is, when it starts and ends, how much it costs, and a basic idea of what is included.You might also ask about dress code. I personally like casual, but check just to be sure it fits with your plans. Also Let them know if you are a beginner, intermediate, or expert at wine and they can let you know if the tasting is suitable to your knowledge level. If you don't know where they hold tastings in your area I suggest you start by calling area restaurants and asking them if they host one or know of one. You can also try any place that sells wine. If that doesn't produce a tasting, try looking up the nearest vineyards and call them for info. If all else fails, most vineyards have tasting rooms on the premises. It helps if you already like wine, but it's also a good way to find out if you like it and if so, which ones. Can't Find A Wine Tasting? How To Hold A Wine TastingA guide to learning about wine with friends Have your own private (at home) wine tasting! This is a fun and romantic event you can plan with the help of a good guide. I recommend the one above - filled with everything you need to plan a perfect wine tasting at home. If you want to go it alone, many wine makers sell smaller bottles, sample sizes almost, so you can buy several and sample those. With bottles in hand you can go online and find the wine makers website. You should be able to find a little info about the wine. Look for serving suggestions, food pairings, and things like flavors you can expect to find in the wine. Print a simple half page of info to read and share as you and your date sample the wine. Based on the serving suggestions you found online (or on the bottles) you can get yourself a few small blocks of cheese and some savory crackers to "rinse the palette" between each wine sample. Fruits like grapes, strawberries, and melon chunks are also good for in between. To help you pace yourself you might want to set a timer so you sample a new wine every 30 minutes or so. Just be sure you don't rush for one to the other. This will leave time to talk with your date. You could also combine this with movie night and pause the movie every half hour to pour a new wine sample, just a half glass will do. If you smile, laugh, and enjoy each others company you will have a successful wine tasting. Tips For A Successful Wine Tasting DateI'm going to suggest you eat dinner before you do a wine tasting. Nothing too heavy as long as you have some food in your stomach, and take it slow with the wine. Yes, you are sampling but it adds up. Don't be fooled by the word tasting. You are drinking alcohol and it will impair your ability to drive. Please don't drink then drive. Our first wine tasting we sampled five wines. That's five glasses of wine and we consumed them all within a few hours. Very fast. That was enough for my wife to enjoy the night and end up calling in sick the next day. Too much wine. The most important thing is to have fun and be safe. Like any other date, you should ask her to go on the date with you at least a few days before you want to go out. Even if you've been together for years, tell her you'd like to take her out to a wine tasting. Give her the date and time and dress and ask her if she'd like to go with you. Remember, its a date. Wait for an answer, even if it's no. I am also a big fan of surprises before, on, or after a date. Give her a single rose (or her favorite flower) shortly after you arrive at the tasting. A romantic (mushy) thank you for the date card the next day would be nice. You might also consider sending a thank you flower the next day to her office or place of work. Have fun and let me know how this works for you! Did you find this information useful? Contact me with your questions, comments, and suggestions! Bookmark, Print, or Share this page  Home < First Date Ideas << Wine Tasting <<< You Are Here
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