Surviving the Cincinnati Int'l Wine Festival, 2009 Edition(3)
12. When possible, rinse out your glass with wine instead of water and then dump. It works better – trust me.
13. Don’t try to take detailed tasting notes. Sometimes I just rate things on my scale, occasionally I’ll write a sentence. There will be no time for detailed information, nor will you really have free hands or space for writing.
14. Try new things and don’t ignore the little and/or local guys. Just because you haven’t heard of them doesn’t mean they’re bad. Truly, some of the booths have the name of the distributor, but they might be featuring three or four different wineries. This is a perfect opportunity to branch out and explore a little. Who knows what you’ll find?
15. Start at the end. Most people will start at the beginning. Starting at the end (or back) will allow you to fight a smaller crowd - at least until you make it to the middle.
16. Carry a small bottle of Wine Away or a Tide Stain Stick. Even if you don't need it, someone else might. I mentioned dark clothing, yes?
17. Save those dessert wines for last. Last year I succumbed to temptation and had the Trentadue chocolate port early on. As tasty as it was, my next 10 wines still tasted like chocolate.
18. Most importantly, have a fantastic time! We’ll have a follow-up post next week, so we look forward to reading your comments.
