10 Tips for an Enjoyable Tasting Room Visit
The first rule of any wine tasting trip is: Drink responsibly. You won’t be able to savor a wine’s flavor if you’re drunk, and it’s important to behave in a way that respects the winemakers, servers, and other guests. Make ample use of the spit buckets provided at every winery, and be sure to assign a designated driver, arrange for a paid ride, or take public transportation.
Beyond drinking responsibly, the following guidelines will help you make the most of any winery trip.
Research food options.
Some wineries allow visitors to bring their own food for picnics, while others ask guests to purchase food on the premises. Before you go, research the rules of each winery so you can plan your meals accordingly.
At Olympic Cellars Winery we welcome picnickers and offer antipasti snacks for purchase. 
During our summer concert series, we often feature local food carts you can pair and purchase delicious entrees from.
No matter where you source your food, incorporate eating into your plans. Even if you don’t plan to eat a full meal at a winery, bring snacks for the car ride so you can nosh between tasting rooms. If you’re worried about cluttering your palate, stick to bread, crackers, raw veggies, and/or unsalted nuts. Be sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day.
Side note: Your designated driver should never rely on snacks to stay alert behind the wheel. They should rely on sobriety!
Plan a visit in the morning (or off-season)
During the high season, which runs from late August to mid-October, tasting rooms typically fill up in the afternoon. To avoid crowds, plan your visit for earlier in the day. Also, consider visiting during the off-season or in the middle of the week.
At Olympic Cellars Winery we close our tasting room 30-minutes prior to the start of our summer 
concerts, so plan accordingly – or better yet – purchase your single show or full season pass to all the music!
Olympic Cellars is Open daily 11:00—5:00 through May 2022, and Summer Hours of 11:00 – 6:00 after Memorial Day.
Our last tasting of the day begins 30 minutes before closing. We want our guests to have the opportunity to take their time and fully enjoy our wines.
We are Closed: New Year’s Day, Superbowl Sunday, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and due to inclement weather
Follow the tasting order
It may seem like the person pouring is being bossy by telling you to drink your Chardonnay before your dry reds, but there is science behind every tasting sequence. Winemakers spend a long time organizing their wines for optimal results. Tannin, the astringent, puckery feeling caused by red wines, and sugar both linger on the palate. They can cloud the taste of lighter, dry wines. That’s why delicate whites and rosés are usually served before reds and dessert wines.
“It’s not just O.K. to let the winery make suggestions and lead the way — it’s encouraged!”
If you’re visiting a tasting room of a winery you are familiar with, be open to trying new wines. Many wineries offer limited-production and often-esoteric wines only available at their tasting rooms. Get outside your comfort zone and allow the tasting room staff to show you what they get most excited about. We often have a special barrel sample of a new blend or a limited release varietal our winemaker Greg will showcase in the tasting room prior to bottling.
Stick to three or four wineries per day.
As a general rule, limit wine tastings to three or four wineries per day. It’s easy to spend anywhere from 45 minutes to multiple hours at a single winery, so more than four stops will probably make the experience feel too rushed. At a certain point, your palate 
will be overwhelmed, or you may get tired. The Olympic Peninsula Wineries & cideries association has all your details mapped out.
Bring a sunhat and a sweater too.
If you’ll sample Pacific NW wines outside, pray for some time in the sun, but come prepared to put on that sweater or light jacket. Even indoors, many tasting rooms are extensions of the wineries production warehouse and like the classic underground cellars of France, it can often be chilly. Dress in layers, and slather on the sunscreen
and bring a sunhat to keep your skin safe and body comfortable while you taste wines. Also, remember to stay hydrated.
Skip cologne or perfume.
Smell is central to wine tasting, which is a multisensory activity. Strong colognes or perfumes can overpower the olfactory senses, which can diminish the overall experience for you and others. Go au naturel in the tasting rooms to maximize your ability to savor wines.
Take two-sips, and then spit.
For the record, spitting doesn’t take the fun out of wine tasting. In fact, it can make any wine-fueled adventure more fun by allowing you to try (and remember) more flavors.
Take the time to enjoy each wine. Wine tasting should engage all your senses. Smell the wine several times before taking your first sip. As you swirl and more air enters the wine more smells and flavors will emerge. Sit with the wine and pay attention to the differences from sip to sip.
Generally speaking, each flight is approximately one standard glass of wine. That can add up fast if you’re at a large wine event or touring four or five wineries in an afternoon. A good rule of thumb is to take two sips of each wine. If you love it, drink it; if not, spit it out, and simply dump what’s left in your glass. Contrary to your college-era beliefs, this isn’t “wasting” good alcohol. And the winery will not be offended!
Do try to make a purchase.
Wineries are a great place to pick up souvenirs. Buying the wine you like is an obvious choice. However, purchasing wine is not always possible, especially if you’re only traveling with carry-on luggage. Tasting rooms often sell other wine-related items like T-shirts, art, posters, or books. It is a nice gesture to buy something to show that you enjoyed your experience.
Of course, you can always order online or ask about having your purchase shipped in order to get your wines home safely.
Did you know? Wine Flies Free on Alaska Airlines. Check a case of wine for free when you fly from Seattle (and 31 other West Coast cities.)
Relax, Learn and Enjoy!
“Ask questions” is a common refrain in wine education, but it’s one that deserves to be repeated.
No server is a mind reader. Just about any question about the wines, the vineyard, and the history are appreciated.
The same goes for questions about winemaking terms. If you’re unsure of what something means
(malolactic fermentation, anyone?) go ahead and ask the server. It’s their job to teach you.
You never know what sort of insider intel the person pouring your wine might have. Your tasting room staff are expected to be experts about their wines, but they’re often incredible resources for local information as well. Most live in the area where they pour and can make recommendations for the best restaurants, must-see scenery, or even neighboring wineries based on your preferences. There is no better way to make the most of a day or weekend tasting.
Cheers!
