Grape adventures

Travel tips for the wine tourist

Uncorked by Thor Iverson

". . . and here is a 1983 Gewurztraminer Sélection de Grains Nobles." Jean Trimbach, marketing director for his famed Alsace winemaking family, had poured us some unbelievable wines over the last hour, but this was beyond any of them. I couldn't imagine this wine selling for less than $300 in the US, but then I'd never even seen a bottle.

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My wife and I had tasted our way through 20 years of Alsace's best wines and had taken a guided tour of a cellar older than my great-great-grandparents, all in a 17th-century house underneath a majestic vine-covered slope. But the best was yet to come. "Here you go . . . congratulations on your marriage," he said as he handed us a box. In it was a bottle of the wine we'd just tasted.

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Sooner or later, it will happen. It might strike without warning over a glass of shiraz, or it might be the result of a conversation at last week's Wine Expo. You'll feel the call of the vineyards, the lure of wine tasted at its source. Nothing compares to tasting a wine with the person who made it, strolling through the vineyards, catching a glimpse of next year's wine as it ferments in a cask, seeing a hundred years of liquid history in racks of cellared bottles, untouched by labels, price tags, or government warnings. Wine travel is one of the most rewarding kinds of travel there is, and with winter giving rise to thoughts of summer vacations, now is the perfect time to plan it.

There's no typical winery visit. Some wineries are massive corporate operations, with elaborate tasting rooms and tours that resemble a Disneyland ride. Others (the majority) are run by a single family -- often farmers -- who are in charge of planting, tending, and harvesting grapes, making wine, selling wine, promoting themselves, and leading what little non-wine lives are left to them. The large wineries are more user-friendly, but the small ones are more rewarding.

One easy trip is to a local winery like Westport Rivers (417 Hixbridge Road, Westport, Massachusetts, 508-636-3423) or Sakonnet (162 West Main Road, Little Compton, Rhode Island, 401-635-4356). These are reachable on a day trip and are wonderful for wine geeks and novices alike (for more on visiting local vineyards, click here).

If you're considering a more serious trip, advance planning is important. Decide how much of your vacation you want to devote to wine, then decide which wineries you really want to visit. Larger wineries can sometimes handle drop-in visits, but most (of any size) require appointments.

Making an appointment isn't hard; usually a phone call, fax, or letter is all that's required. Numbers and addresses can be found in the Yellow Pages and in wine books. (I highly recommend the Touring in Wine Country series, edited by Hugh Johnson, but most comprehensive wine guides will have contact information for wineries. Your retailer is also a valuable source of assistance.) To visit particularly noteworthy and/or small producers, an "introduction" from an importer might be required (again, talk to your retailer). And don't overdo appointments; two or three per day is plenty.

Appointments are more than just polite. Drop-in visitors to most wineries will receive a cursory tasting and perhaps a group tour. Those with appointments often get to taste more, older, or still-in-barrel wines, and personal tours from the winemaker him- or herself -- as with our experience at Trimbach -- are common.

A few more tips:

Pick your target. The Napa and Sonoma regions of California are trendy, crowded, and expensive, but still a rewarding and hedonistic wine destination (don't miss the Mondavi tour). Other West Coast regions are better for those less impressed by spectacle. On a European trip, wineries in Alsace, Beaujolais, most of Italy, Spain, and Portugal are friendly and accessible; Bordeaux, Tuscany, and Champagne tend to be a bit stuffier.

Bring maps. Not all wineries are well marked, and some deliberately hide their existence from the general public (to avoid drop-ins). If you're traveling in Europe, get explicit directions; street maps are not as ubiquitous as they are here.

Bring cash. Many wineries in the Napa and Sonoma Valleys charge a tasting fee for some or all of their wines. This might be waived if you arrive with an appointment, and the practice is almost nonexistent elsewhere, but it never hurts to be prepared.

Bring more cash. It's rude to visit a winery without purchasing at least some wine. Some wineries take credit cards, but many don't; remember, you're dealing with farmers, not retailers. When a tasting fee is charged, however, purchases are optional.

Ask questions. Don't be afraid of seeming less than the world's greatest expert. Learning is why you're traveling in the first place, and winemakers love talking about what they do.

Dress in layers. Summer is a great time to visit vineyards, but when it's hot outside, cellars remain frigid and damp. Tasting in a winemaker's cellar is a rare honor; doing so in shorts and a T-shirt is considerably less enjoyable.

Watch the season. Be careful about arriving during the planting or harvest seasons, as winemakers will be virtually unavailable at those times.

Spit. No one likes a drunken visitor, especially wine-country police. But don't spit particularly old or expensive wines -- instead, pace yourself to avoid insulting your host's grandfather, who probably made the wine you're tasting.

Learn the language. I can't stress this enough. If you're visiting a foreign country, the respect shown by an attempt to speak the language will accomplish things appointments and credit cards never will. Only a few of the big international firms will employ English speakers.

Finally, remember to have fun. Wine is an expression of harmony between nature and man, and wine travel is a way to experience that joy at the source. And while the gifts may not always be as tangible as that box we were handed at Trimbach, the experiences will last a lifetime.

Thor Iverson can be reached at wine[a]phx.com.

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