Surviving the Cincinnati Int'l Wine Festival, 2009 Edition(2)
6. Get there early. People start filtering in late and things get crowded. Enjoy being early.
7. Spit.
What? Yes, I said spit. It’s actually an accepted practice. However, even at the Trade Tasting you don’t see it that often. One of the wine makers commented to me a few years ago that Cincinnati is strange because hardly anyone spits.
Some thoughts on spitting:
- Carry your own spit cup. Dixie cups work, as well as those Solo plastic cups. When a table is crowded, it’s hard to get to the bucket, nor do you want to be in someone else’s spit stream. Also, it’s easier to be discreet when you are spitting into your own cup.
- Dump instead of spit. I don’t spit at the Wine Festival. Judging a wine competition, it doesn’t bother me. But in our weird lack-of-spitting city, I get really self-conscious. So I take a small sip or two, try to really glean something out of it, and dump the rest of the wine into the bucket. It’s expected. You’re not wasting wine or hurting anyone’s feelings.
8. Take breaks every 30 minutes or so to have some snacks and water, as well as to regroup.
9. Hydrate, and wine doesn’t count. Bring water if they aren’t handing it out. But you’ll definitely want some handy.
10. Stop by the bathroom periodically – not just to use the facilities, but to really rinse out your glass. It doesn’t take long for your wine glass to be sticky and filled with the residue of previous tastes.
11. Manage your route so that you visit the sparkling wine and champagne in between big wines. Sparklers are excellent palate cleansers.
