San Diego’s hinterland is rapidly growing in importance as a source of fine wines. Therefore, there has never been a better time to consider enjoying a wine tasting that San Diego can offer you, to really get the best impression of the fine wines from this region of California. The key wine production area is the North County with some of the best wines coming from vineyards in the Temecula Valley. Temecula Valley is easy to reach and extremely appealing. The vineyards, both large and small, stretch out across the rolling hills and valleys of this picturesque region.
Go to the wineries or bring them in?
Even if your time is short and you don’t have the time to get out to the wineries all is not lost. San Diego wine sellers will be more than happy to arrange for you to come to a wine tasting at their premises or some may even be able to bring a selection of wines for you to taste at your hotel, assuming that you have made the right arrangements. If you would like to taste the wines from over 50 of the best wineries in the San Diego area it will be perfectly possible without having to leave the city limits. Even if you are in San Diego only for a limited period of time you should be able to find wine tastings taking place in the city and these are open to the public, so you should be able to find a time that works for you.
How to get the best out of San Diego wine tastings
Even if you are a novice to the wonderful world of wine and all that San Diego has to offer, don’t be afraid to go to a wine tasting. The organizers understand that everyone has to start somewhere; so young or old you will be made welcome regardless of your knowledge of wine. Don’t try to make out that you are an expert in wine tasting when you have very little experience. The staff hosting the wine tasting will be more than happy to help you with a few useful steps to allow you to evaluate the wine you are tasting and how to work out if you like it or not.
Tips and tricks for wine tasting in San Diego and elsewhere
Wherever you are tasting wine the techniques to find out if you like the wine or not are basically the same. First of all the wine you will taste should be at its ideal ambient temperature. Room temperature for the red wines and chilled to about 5c for white wines. Red wines should have been allowed to “breathe”. This means that the wine should have been exposed to the atmosphere so that the wine can mellow; this is caused by the interaction with oxygen that removes the bitter taste caused by tannin when the wine is first opened.
You may have laughed when you see a wine expert gobbling like a turkey when trying the wine. You don’t have to imitate a turkey but you should allow the wine to touch all of your taste buds by effectively swilling it around your pallet. Wine tasting in San Diego should be fun and it will be if you follow these simple practical steps.
