Wine professionals, whether they’re behind a tasting room bar, serving you at a restaurant, or sitting on their porch with friends, frequently hear one sentence from wine drinkers that makes them a bit sad. That sentence is, “I’m sorry. I don’t know much about wine.”
It’s the “I’m sorry” part that makes them a bit sad because no one needs to apologize for their lack of knowledge. In fact, if all a wine drinker wants to know about wine is what they like and what they don’t like.
But, if you genuinely want a casual wine education—information on how wine grapes are grown, what happens once those grapes are harvested and crushed, how to pair with certain foods, or which unopened bottles you can hold on to for a few years versus which ones are better enjoyed sooner rather than later—you can learn much of the information at a local winery.
Ask, Sip, Learn
At the wineries that offer tastings at their bar, those who pour the wines often tell you a bit about them as they pour. And, they should be able to answer a lot of questions you may have if you want to know more. They can talk about the grapes that went into the wine you’re tasting, what foods pair well with those wines, how long to store it if you take a bottle home, and much more.
Of course, winery guests need to understand that they can’t always have the full attention of those pouring the wines, particularly when the tasting room is very busy. The winter months are often the best time to get a few extra minutes with the wine bar staff, and sometimes, you can catch a slow period on a weekday.
But, asking thoughtful and specific questions to the tasting room staff is not the only way to gain some knowledge. If you want to be certain, you can learn a little and maybe take a deeper dive; some wineries make sure you can do just that.
Book a Guided Tasting
A guided tasting is usually run by the winemaker or one of the more experienced tasting room professionals, and they usually require a reservation. Currently, at Auburn Road Vineyards in Pilesgrove, winemaker Julianne Donnini curates a new experience each month for curious wine drinkers that provides a “deep dive into a wine world that generally only winemakers live in.”
At White Horse Winery in Hammonton, hospitality manager Toby, a Level III Sommelier, leads reservation-only exclusive tasting room experiences featuring five handpicked wines. Toby dives into the unique terroir, flavor profiles, and meticulous winemaking techniques that define each bottle.
And in Ringoes, Old York Cellars’ wine experts walk guided tasting guests through a curated selection of wines, sharing stories of their origins and production while teaching professional tasting techniques.
Join Any Event that Has the Word ‘Pairing’ in Its Description
Pairing wine and food isn’t as mysterious as it sounds. If you’re eating something and drinking wine with it, and they don’t fight each other, you have a pairing. But some pairings enhance each other—think Cabernet Sauvignon and a steak or dry sparkling wine and French fries—and a pairing class can offer some pointers. New Jersey wineries will often host pairing classes, such as wine and cheese pairings or wine and chocolate pairings, that go over the basics of pairing.
To find these wine education opportunities, and others, check our events page, subscribe to our weekly In the Vines newsletter, and visit the websites and social media pages of New Jersey wineries.
