What kind of tasting room notes do you like?

Most if not all winery tasting rooms offer visitors a tasting guide of the wines they have available for tasting. Some wineries offer as much information as possible on a list. The font can get very small to include all these details. Information frequently includes what nuances the tasters should expect to observe.

It has been found that if someone is given a suggestion of an aroma or taste that this sets an expectation on the part of the taster and he/she will notice that nuance or taste because of the expectation. When I taste a wine, I prefer not to read the description of the wine until after I have tasted it. I’d rather know what my senses tell me rather than have it colored by suggestions. After tasting then I will read the tasting notes. It’s fun to see if I am in agreement with the “official” tasting notes.

Wine descriptions may include whether the wine was barrel-aged or fermented in stainless steel. For wine blends frequently the grapes used to make the wine are listed. Some times the information includes whether it is dry, semidry, semisweet or sweet. Other wineries include suggested pairings.

Is it beneficial to the winery to share this information? Do visitors need or want that kind of information? What information do you like to see when tasting a wine?

Cheers! Kathy