I went on my first wine tasting trip to Walla Walla, Washington this past weekend. We had many reasons to celebrate, birthdays, graduations and the fact that we were all free for once to get the entire friend group together and catch up. When it comes to wine tasting, I’m an amateur. I had no clue what to expect other than lots of wine and hopefully good food. Here’s what you should do for your next wine tasting trip.
Book an Air BNB
With five people and a cozy townhouse worked for us it had two bedrooms, a full bathroom, a living room and a kitchen. The best part is we had our own spaces as well as a great living room for game nights. I highly recommend looking into booking a house, especially if it is so close to town that you can walk a good number of places, plus no one has to worry about missing out on wine because we don’t have to have a designated driver.Â
Research
When it comes to trips, I have to plan, there has to be an agenda. Find the hot spots in town, ask friends, and family and get a general sense of what you’re looking for. We all were able to ask people and get some great recommendations for food and wineries in the area.Â
Make Reservations
I had no idea going to Walla Walla this time of year it was considered the “busy season.” Some of the wineries that we went to out of the downtown area asked if we had a reservation and had to take a chance and walk-in with a party of five. It’s even more difficult when it comes to restaurants, lots of them were booked out for almost two weeks, we were prepared to splurge and have a fancy dinner one night, but it was just not in the cards. So, plan ahead and make a reservation or two well in advance.
Ask the Locals
Each sommelier we had we made sure to get recommendations whether it was wineries close by or food in general we asked. Always ask, they may lead you to a hidden spot you never knew about. Plus, it never hurts to be friendly and have a good conversation.Â
Buy a Bottle
I had this plan already in my mind before going on our trip. I had the privilege of bringing my boyfriend to meet all my best friends and we had such a great time. He was not a wine guy, but I think I slowly turned him into it. We both loved a bottle of white wine and so we agreed to get one to take home. It could be for a special occasion dinner or even to start a tradition of getting a bottle to have at home to enjoy together just the two of us. One of many great ways to mark the trip together.Â
I think we could all agree when Sunday brunch came, we were not ready to leave and head back to reality. I highly recommend planning a trip like this but just come prepared, we will be stepping out of the amateur stage before you know it.Â