Wine tasting events are a truly valuable experience for any wine connoisseur, from absolute beginners to experienced wine tasters. They present a fantastic opportunity to discover new wines from all over the world, taste excellent vintages from wine producers you like and converse with people who work in the wine industry to get first-hand information. As well as that, simply being around other wine enthusiasts and discussing your favourite wines can be exciting.
In this article we have compiled a list of some of the world’s best renowned wine tasting events around the world that you should check out if you enjoy wine culture.
Bordeaux Wine Festival
Where is a better place to experience wine tasting than the home of wine? The world famous Bordeaux Wine Festival invites wine lovers from all over the globe to immerse in the glorious wine culture of France and explore some of the most prestigious vineyards. In 2022 the festival is being held from June 23rd to 26th and it’s definitely an event you don’t want to miss.
At the festival, visitors will have the opportunity to walk the gorgeous historic streets of Bordeaux and explore the wine tasting road that stretches for two kilometres. With more than 80 different wine appellations from the region including Cadillac, Côtes de Bordeaux, Paulliac and many more, you definitely won’t be stuck for choice!
Napa Valley Wine Auction
The Napa Valley Wine Auction is one of the region’s most celebrated wine tasting events and the perfect opportunity to taste the very best of New World wines. The event normally takes place in June every year, when visitors can enjoy four days of outstanding wine and food tastings, exclusive vintner hosted dinner parties and the main attraction of the event barrel and wine auctions, the proceeds of which go towards Napa Valley charities.
New York Wine Spectator Experience
The Wine Spectator New York wine tasting experience is one of the most exclusive events that takes place in New York City every year in October. It’s considered the wine tasting experience for any wine connoisseur.
Along with many of the top rated wineries from around the world, the event also features seminars from renowned winemakers who will be pouring their signature wine from vintage champagnes to pinot noir or chardonnay, you’ll be able to taste some of the very best wines from around the world.
While the event is rather costly with VIP tickets costing about $2,500, it’s definitely a must-visit for anyone who wants to learn more about the wine industry while tasting some exquisite whites, reds and sparkling wines.
Bardolino Wine Festival
Italy is a place known for its fantastic wine and food culture, so if you want to experience all of its glory, the Bardolino Wine Festival is the perfect opportunity for this. The festival is held in the small town of Bardolino located in the Veneto region, just about 130 km away from Venice. Originally named “Festa dell’Uva e del Vino”, the event started in 1929 and takes place at the beginning of October as a way to celebrate this year’s harvest and wine.
The Bardolino Wine Festival offers an outstanding mix of Italian food and beverages combined with street shows, music performances and local crafts. And of course the main attraction of the event – the wine.
San Mateo Rioja Wine Harvest Festival
Dating back to the 12th century “Fiestas de San Mateo” celebrations, the Rioja Wine Harvest Festival marks the beginning of the harvest. This year’s festival will be held in Logrono, one of Spain’s historic towns and capital of the La Rioja province. The festival takes place in late September which means you can end your summer on a high note by immersing yourself in traditional Spanish wine and food culture.
The region of La Rioja is famous for its red wines, so if you’re someone that enjoys reds thi is the perfect opportunity to taste some amazing traditional Rioja wines. Along with wine tastings the festivities include live music, parades, food stalls and one of the oldest traditions of stomping grapes.
San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
San Francisco’s Chronicle Wine Competition is one of the biggest wine competitions in the United States. Taking place every year in February, the event features over one and a half thousand award-winning wines from all over the US. Wines from the biggest American wineries can be sampled during the event and you can also find out how the judges assigned their gold, silver and bronze medals.
How Wine Tasting Events Work
Bigger wine tasting events feature different wines from leading wineries and you can walk between stands, talk to the sommeliers there, ask questions and taste various wines. Most wineries send their key staff to these events that can provide you with an insight of the industry and the process of winemaking so at the end of the day you’ll leave with knowledge on the wine industry as well as a whole list of new wines to enjoy. At a lot of the events wineries will be ordered in alphabetical order or grouped by regions, or type of wines making it easier to navigate and find the specific wines you want to try.
Planning to Attend a Wine Tasting Event
If you decide to visit a wine tasting event or festival make sure to plan in advance. Book your tickets, travel and accommodation early on because popular events usually sell out quickly. After you’ve taken care of the logistics, think ahead of the actual event and plan your approach.
Wine tasting events can be quite rapd and overwhelming with the great variety of wines available to taste. Bring a notebook and pen with you on the day so you can take notes of each wine you taste. This will help you truly appreciate the wines you’re tasting.
If you’re going to a large-scale event that offers a wide variety of wines from different regions try picking a wine variety or type and stick to those, for instance you can choose to only taste Merlots or Rosés, or you could stick to only a certain region. At events where only a specific type of wine will be presented, for instance Pinot Noir, try picking a few different regions to try.
With hundreds of different wines to try, it’s impossible to taste every single one and make it out of the event on two feet, so don’t feel like you have to taste every wine from every winery. The most important thing at big wine tasting events is to enjoy yourself and take in the experience.
Now that you know about the most exquisite wine tasting events, it’s time to work on your palette and tasting skills by drinking more carefully selected wines!
