Responsible Tasting

We realize that wine is often perceived as a way to relax people and encourage social interaction, not to mention a wonderful complement to great food. We also believe that there is a social responsibility attached to wine consumption where driving is involved. 

As part of Jacques' formal judge training he learned about the impact of alcohol consumption on the ability to appraise wine accurately and consistently. It was clearly demonstrated that a relatively small quantity of wine is required to start impairing one's wine appraisal abilities.  That is why wine judges are required to spit their wines out whenever they work at a wine competition (what good is a judge with diminished judgment?).  A similar rationale applies to winemakers, where an accurate appraisal of how the wines are developing is crucial, not to mention basic work safety.

Whenever we visit a tasting room or go to one of these monster wine tastings (Rhone Rangers, ZAP, etc.), we spit what we taste (discreetly of course - Jacques will show you his trick). By the time most people are beginning to feel "wined out", we are just hitting our stride.  The overall result is a much more enjoyable and complete experience, where we can taste as many wines as we feel like and, more importantly, enjoy a safe trip home. 

At our winery, we will encourage visitors to try out this approach used by the wine pros, not only to make their outing a safer one, but to make it a more pleasurable one.  To complement our drive for wine quality, our emphasis is on wine tasting rather than on wine drinking, concentrating on the sensory enjoyment of the wine experience (hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting and clearly remembering).  This could very well be the secret ingredient you've been looking for to lift your wine appreciation to the next level.  Try it, you'll like it, guaranteed!