Have you done it before? .... Michelle wants to know

Your first time. So how was it for you? Memorable, forgettable, awkward silences, didn't know where to look, or what to do? Maybe it hasn't happened yet?

Now hang on a minute, not THAT first time, I mean the first time you ventured into a cellar door. Mind you both can be just as 'clumsy'. I've discussed this with people over the years and here are some helpful hints to make that first time, or even the next time, more enjoyable.

The Pooley Cellar Door

You see, in a lot of instances the people on the other side of the counter are just as nervous as you (if not more so). There is no shortage of places to purchase wine so they need to make that particular cellar door stand out.  What's more, given the quality of Tasmanian wine, you will find something you like at any cellar door you enter. So the success of a cellar door will depend on the experience you have whilst there.  

For example, did they open that 'special' vintage bottle?  Or perhaps you tried some barrel samples of the upcoming vintage? 

Suppose the winemaker was thinking of a new blend and wanted your opinion so took you out to the nerve centre and made that blend directly out of the barrel? 

Maybe they bought out their elite $300 bottle and said you could have the 'dregs' to take home with you and the 'dregs' happened to be almost a full bottle?

These experiences can happen to you if you follow a few basic rules:

Ensure you're not rip roaring drunk when you walk in, that is sure to create a bad impression. I recall venturing into a cellar door in Rutherglen, Vic and passing a sign stating "No alcohol past this point". Surprised? So was I. According to the staff "we get idiots in here, dear". Apparently Rutherglen gets more than their fair share of end of season footy trips where the boys take beer and the girls take bundy and coke into the cellar doors. Booze in one hand, wine tasting glass in the other. No wonder the staff get just a little cross.

Don't be put off  if you're asked to pay for the tastings, often it's only around $3. Most wineries won't charge if you end up purchasing wine and so it is a very reasonable price to pay. After all, in most cases if you taste all the range you have at least a glass. 

Taste everything, even if you think you don't like a particular variety. You just never know when someone might do something that little bit different and the end result may surprise you. For example, sauvignon blanc doesn't tend to be my wine of choice but at the recent open winery weekend I purchased a couple of bottles from Nandroya and was very pleasantly surprised. There is always a spittoon so you can expel anything you don't want if necessary. Not everyone likes everything. That is the beauty of wine, it's a very personal opinion.

If you have no intention of purchasing anything because you are travelling, the cellar is currently overflowing, or any other reason then tell them. If I'm travelling I will ask for an order form and a copy of their tasting notes so I can order once I get home.  

If you don't like anything you taste and can't wait to get out of there then simply thank the staff or owner for their time and depart without any great fuss. Cellar door staff or owners don't appreciate lectures or long explanations about why you don't like the wine. Another thing to remember is that your belief that some other region's wines are vastly superior to those you've just tried is also a sure fire way to not make friends and not impress people.

Try to engage in conversation with the person behind the counter. Seriously, this can only work in your favour. Imagine the number of people they face each and every day who sip, swirl, spit and then leave. It must be pretty disheartening. Not only that no one likes a tyre kicker. In fact I've heard cellar door staff ringing other vineyards to warn them that tyre kickers are on the way. Wine tasting should be a shared experience. You want the people who run the cellar door to be as interested in you as you are in their wines.

Beware of S.T.S - Small Tasting Syndrome. A taste should be large enough so that you have at least 3 sips. The first is the palate cleanser, the second starts to bring through the true flavours of the wine, and the third is happy, happy, joy, joy (hopefully, unless you didn't like it at all). Don't feel embarrassed to ask for a second taste of something that:

a) you really, really like and want to be sure before you part with your hard earned cash, or;

b) there is no way you could even tell if you enjoyed it or not as the tasting was so small. If you get a refusal then this is the signal to leave the place.

Always try to dig up a D.D. (designated driver). This is one rule I stick closely by as I simply hate wasting good wine by spittooning. In fact, I've heard some winemakers say that they hate seeing their wine end up down the sink. Unfortunately someone has to put their hand up to be responsible as you do have to get home - I think it's going a bit far to expect a winery to offer you a bed for the night!

If you haven't experienced your first time yet then I very strongly urge you to get out there. And always remember the most important rules of all:

Relax, be yourself and enjoy!

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