The Secrets to Scoring an "Insider" Wine Tasting

It's February and that means it's time to head up to Napa Valley one rainy weekend day to admire the wild mustard growing in the vineyards and taste the new releases of Heitz Cellars, among other indulgences.

It also means we get to test out our secret ploy for scoring that bonus tasting, the bottle the "flight attendants" or "hospitality specialists" keep under the bar for selected visitors. Call me shallow, but I get an extra special tingle of pleasure when the guy we've been chatting with says, "oh, wait, there's something else I'd like you to try."

Now, they could choose their lucky customer for a reason as simple as a four-figure purchase of a case or two on the credit card--but usually our purchase is a fairly modest single bottle, albeit from the top of the line. After years of Februarys, I think I know the one secret tip to scoring the extra goodies. You spit when you taste. And ask questions--they don't have to be too esoteric, but they can't be something like "what's a Cabernet?" Just ask how this vintage compares to last year's. Or mention you had a ten-year-old bottle of their flagship wine the night before (especially if you did, which we actually did). But seriously, just acting a bit more thoughtful than the usual tourist will earn you that little treat, which keeps us coming back year after year. Hmm, maybe the secret ploy is at work on both sides of the counter?

Anyway, we enjoyed our stop at Heitz as always. All three new 2004 Cabs were velvety and rich, and we got to taste a 2000 Bella Oaks as the extra. Next on our annual pilgrimage was Merryvale, right up the road and across from Taylor's Refresher, the most upscale, gourmet burger joint on earth. (My kids love the milkshakes which use about a quart of Bud's ice cream).

Merryvale is especially enchanting to me because of their Cask Room, pictured above. My fantasy is to rent this room for an "in the flesh" party with all of my blogger buddies. Tuxes and sparkling evening gowns, catering by Thomas Keller. With this bunch of foodie sybarites, I know we'll have a great time. Well, maybe when I win the lottery, in the meantime, I just read you can enjoy a wine and food pairing seminar for $20 on the fourth weekend of each month. We might have to make another trip up this year!

Merryvale is the place where we really get the goodies--this time two additional vintages of their flagship Profile than is listed on the tasting menu. Of course, we have been collecting one bottle each year for about ten years, but they still know how to make a local girl feel special.

Our final stop is a relatively new discovery in Napa, Robert Sinskey Vineyards. Tucked away on the less busy Silverado Trail, Sinskey offers a food-and-wine pairing for each visitor as part of their $20 tasting. I guess this makes me an old-timer, but I remember when most of the wineries didn't charge for tastings. Sinskey makes it easier with their well-chosen flight of four hors d'oeuvres to complement the wines.

There is something so festive about nibbling a tiny quiche of caramelized onion and chard while you sip their Pinot, or a miniature gougere with the Cab. We also had a bit of drama when one of the servers dropped a whole tray of the special rectangular serving plates back in the kitchen. Lots of shattered china, but, hey, we've all been there.

We decided to pick up two bottles of Sinskey's POV this time, a fittingly literary wine which tasted just as good on Friday as it did up at the winery last weekend.

You know, I think we may have to go back up to Napa soon!

How to get the VIP Treatment at your next Napa Winetasting

It’s a brand new year and time to launch Foodie Friday 2008! Actually this is more of a wino Friday entry, but still, I hope it adds to your sensual enjoyment.

My husband and I love drinking good wine (not necessarily expensive wine, but tasty, interesting wine) and we have an annual custom of going up to Napa Valley in February to taste the good stuff they’re pouring at Heitz. It’s the only time of year you can taste their lovely Martha’s Vineyard and Bella Oaks Cabs and tasting is always free! We try to go up to the Wine Country a few other times during the year as well, but February is quiet and the guys at the tasting bars are especially talkative, so you learn a lot.

Over the past few years, we’ve learned something else, too. If you do one simple thing, you’re very likely to have the winery pourers pull out a special bottle and give you an extra wine to taste, often a top-of-the-line treat, and always on the house.

Here’s what you do: spit.

Not in his face. You spit out the wines you taste. First stick your nose in the glass and breathe in long and deep. Then roll a sip around in your mouth, get all the flavor and spit. Either into the spit jar, or we take our own plastic cups (not clear, you can see the icky saliva-bubbly rejected wine) which is more discreet than shooting a fountain of liquid across the table into the communal spittoon. If you find a wine you really like, you can swallow a bit of that. I always allow myself that indulgence!

So, the guys at the bar see you doing this and they know you’re at least semi-serious about wine, a step above the bus tours. You chat with them a bit. Ask with genuine interest about the recent harvest and the current wines on sale and when the optimum time is to drink them. Confess you’re one of those crazy people who keep wine for a number of years and don’t just drink it all right away. Then watch them reach behind the counter for a little something special they’d like you to try.

It doesn’t happen at every winery, but at least once or twice on every visit. It's fun and you get to taste some nice stuff. Plus, if you spit, you don’t have to worry about driving and you can always buy a bottle of your favorite, drinkable-today wine to have back at the B&B. Not a bad way to sample the VIP treatment--and it's free.

Happy Quaffing!