Wine, Whiskey, and More: Getting the Most from a Grand Tasting

There is something glorious about walking into a ballroom and seeing dozens of tables collectively pouring hundreds of different wines or whiskeys. I recently attended two “Grand Tastings” in and near Boston, and it got me thinking about what makes for a successful Grand Tasting and how people can get the most out of the experience.

First, definitions: “Grand tasting” is a general term for an opportunity to sample wines or whiskeys that has more options than you could possibly hope to try in one sitting. The Boston Wine Expo at the Hilton Park Plaza Hotel on March 7 and 8 had over fifty tables, each of which poured more than five different wines, including many expensive and exclusive bottles. Mohegan Sun’s Sun Whiskey Union, held on April 4, had roughly fifty tables, collectively pouring more than 200 whiskeys, including an exciting array of bourbon, rye, American single malts, Scotch, and more. Both included a good range of free food as well, allowing attendees to fill their stomach with something besides alcohol and also reset their palates before trying more.

The most important thing to remember when attending a Grand Tasting is safety. Seriously. Before you go, make plans for how you will get home. Ubers and public transportation are a must. For Mohegan Sun, which isn’t close enough to take an Uber, I reserved a hotel room and stayed the night.

Next comes hydration. Start drinking water long before you get to the tasting and drink water throughout. You can’t assume that a tasting will have water on hand, and I highly recommend bringing a large water bottle. Both of the events I recently attended were three hours long. If you do not hydrate, you will pay a heavy price the next day.

Now that we have plans for how to get home safely and how to stay hydrated, it’s time to have fun. But don’t make a rookie mistake and start guzzling at the first table you see. No matter how experienced a drinker you may be, your palate will quickly become fatigued with drinking, so you want to strategize. Start by walking through the whole event to take stock of what is being offered. What do you really want to try? For wines, are you a fan of Pinot Noir? Tempranillo? Sauvignon Blanc? For whiskeys, are you primarily a fan of bourbon? Rye? American Single Malts? Look for the libations you most want to try and make sure to hit them first while your palate is fresh. “Saving the best for last” is almost always a mistake.

I go to tastings primarily to expand my experience and try new wines, new regions, and new distilleries. This means skipping many outstanding wines and whiskeys simply because I have tried them before and want to use this wonderful opportunity to try new bottles. While surveying the Boston Wine Expo and the Sun Whiskey Union, I made a quick list of the tables I wanted to visit. Then I organized the order in which I wanted to try their offerings.

To get the most from the experience, you will want to try wines and whiskeys in a sensible order. After all, if you start by drinking Napa Cabernet Sauvignon or Italian Barolo, any white wine you try afterward will likely taste like vinegar. At wine tastings, I like to start with sparkling wines, move to whites, then on to rosés, and finish with reds and dessert wines. I’ll sometimes divide the reds into light reds and heavy reds. A lovely Burgundy will seem bland after a heavy Bordeaux.

At whiskey tastings, I typically start with Scotch and American single malts. Then I’ll move to Irish. Then bourbon. Then spicy rye. I’ll switch this up if there are wines or whiskeys that I’m particularly excited to try, sampling them early in the tasting to make sure my palate is fresh enough to enjoy them fully.

Special tip: I have a code to help me remember which wines/whiskeys I really enjoyed. I don’t like to bring a pad and pen with me or to write notes on my phone while attending a tasting. Instead, if I like a bottle, I’ll take a picture of it on my phone. If I love it, I take two pictures. And if it is a special bottle that I must hunt down immediately, I take three pictures. This allows me to spend very little time taking notes but still remember which were my favorites.

Final note: do your homework before you attend a grand tasting. They can be expensive, and they sometimes aren’t worth it. They might have poor offerings or admit so many people that you will spend most of your time waiting in line rather than tasting and talking to producers and distillers. I had a wonderful time at both the Boston Wine Expo and the Sun Whisky Union because, though very well attended, they were designed to accommodate their numbers. I spent virtually no time at all waiting in line, and I had opportunities to talk at length with the people who make and sell their products.

For me, the opportunity to try many new wines and whiskeys while talking about them with experts is a perfect way to spend my money and my time.

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