While on another wine tour with our regular guests and friends we came up with these top10 tips to get the most of your wine tour.
1. Choose your wine tour provider carefully
Make sure transport is included …. you don’t want to have one of your group as a designated driver. Find out how many wineries are included in the tour. If there is more than one ask if different types of wineries featured.
2. Taking a wine tour on holiday
If you are going on holiday and planning on taking a wine tour make sure you do so in the first few days of your holiday. You can buy wine during the tour, although there is no obligation, and you will have lots of yummy wine to enjoy by the pool at your Puglia holiday villa.
3. Line your stomach before you leave home.
Here in Puglia, most wineries are only open in the mornings. Meaning a wine tour will normally start early in the morning. Make sure you have a good breakfast before your tour guide arrives to pick you up.
4. Go with the flow
The idea of tasting wine early in the morning might seem strange. Just go with the flow. After the first tasting, you just know everything is going to be fine on your wine tour day.
5. Wine variety
Make sure you get the opportunity to taste a white, a rosé (still and sparkling) and reds – at least a Primitivo and a Negramaro.
6. Drink plenty of water.
Assuming you are not sipping and spitting, and most of our wine tour guests don’t, make sure you drink plenty of water as well.
7. Make use of the bathroom whenever possible
Following on from #6, ask to use the bathroom facilities at every winery you visit.
8. Buying wine after you return home
If you have found a wine you really like, and we are certain you will if you are tasting wine in Puglia, check to see if you will be able to buy it after you have returned home. Puglia wines are becoming much better-known worldwide now. They are imported by wine merchants and supermarkets in many countries. However, they can sometimes still be hard to find in your home country. Does the winery you are visiting ship to your country? Many do. You will get your favourite Puglia wines at Puglia prices, delivered to your door. Even after taking shipping costs into account, the bottle price will compare favourably with supermarket prices, assuming you could find your favourite wine back on home territory.
9. Enjoy yourselves
Relax, go with the flow, taste, ask questions … most importantly enjoy yourselves.
10. Taking a wine tour in Puglia?
The Puglia Wine School hosts wine tastings and can also arrange wine tours. They have connections with a number of different wineries, all of them different. Their wine tours usually include three wineries, followed by lunch. All of the wineries offer excellent wine. Visit their website for more information.
Guests who are staying at one of our Puglia villas have the opportunity of visiting a single winery for tasting and buying. If you like the idea of tasting wine but don’t want to book a full wine tour come with us. We will accompany you and introduce you to our favourite winery.
