First Wine Tasting Tour - How Does It Work Exactly?

I would agree with what Lisa said and at the end of the tour they have bottles that you can purchase. They did this when we were living abroad and they also provided transportation for us so that we did not have to drive.

Also do eat before you go. Never go anywhere on an empty stomach.

Dress nicely but comfy and enjoy your anniversary together.

The other S.

I would dress up, but be comfortable. Not too dressy. I would say they give you about a shot glass of wine to taste. They let you sample the wines, so you buy the one you like. Eat the crackers between wines to cleanse your pallet.
Bring or buy, lots of good breads, and stuff you want to eat. Bread is big so you dont get too drunk. :)
Good luck! Have lots of fun!!

We did the California wine country thing around 4 years ago - a lot of fun! Not sure how many different wineries you're going to visit, but they are often quite different from each other. We preferred the smaller vineyards to the big commercial ones - the staff was much friendlier and frequently the wine was better. I joined one wine club on the tour and their wine was consistently excellent.

As someone mentioned, eat a good meal before going so the wine doesn't affect you as much. I'm not sure I ever spit anything out into the spittoon - pretty much drank everything set in front of me. What a wino! But it is a very small portion per each wine.

We dressed very casual. The only time we were a bit dressy was for a fancy-pants dinner we had one evening. Have fun!

There will be a vase-like thing on the counter where you can spit out tastes if you need to, people do that to not feel the effects of the alcohol. Don't feel like you have to finish any glass you don't like. They give you a couple ounces, more than a sip but not a half-glass.

I have only been to one, but I can tell you about that experience. First we got a tour of the winery and a little education on how they make and store for fermentation the different wines. Then they took us to a room and on the bar/counter were several different wines (maybe 18). They did red first from dryest to sweetest and then white from dryest to sweetest. They poured a bit in each glass and let you try each one. They gave us a paper with the list of wines so that we could make notes on each one about the things we liked and the things we didn't. They explained what they matched with, what they were good for, and took lots of questions on what made a "quality" wine. It was very educational and a lot of fun, and because they were so helpful and explained as they did it, no one felt silly or dumb for not knowing anything.

If it's like how ours was, I think you will love it!

Have fun! I would have described it like Lisa did. Wear smart casual, semi-dressy.

Also, eat before you go, just in case you are like me and it doesn't take much wine to make you "feel it".

Dawn

We did one in Nappa. Office casual is about how I would dress for it. I wore white sailor pants, a black and white striped 3/4 length sleeve top, black loafers and a sweater. Don't feel obliged to drink anything you know you don't care for. My hubs and I didn't bother with anything white or any dessert wines because we don't like them. After a number of wineries, you might choose to duck out of the tours, they get a bit redundant. That's fine. You can buy bottles if you fancy anything, but there generally isn't pressure. They will have bread or crackers and water. Some will have food for purchase too (picture an old world delicatessan with things like sausage, cheese, and prepared hot and cold foods). Bring a camera and enjoy.