Almost every state in the country has a wine festival. It is a great way to sample the wines of the region and to become familiar with some of the great wineries that are right in your backyard.

If you decide to go to a wine festival, there are some things you can do to make the most out of the wine festival you are attending. Coming back from the festival with your favorite bottle of wine is always enjoyable, but to get even more benefit, you can follow these tips.

1. Decide beforehand if you will do wine tasting or not.

If you decide to taste the wine, you will need to make sure of at least 2 things: First, bring along a designated driver who will decide to go dry during the festival, or, if you do wine tasting, make sure you spit the wine out in one of the many buckets they have available.

Another thing you will need to decide, is which wines you would like to taste. Many wine festivals are arranged by types of wineries and the wines they serve. Most wineries will have their own booths which are easily indicated on the maps of the event that are given out at the wine festival.

2. Sample the foods at the food booths at the wine festial

One of the great pleasures of having wine is the combination of the food and wine together. Many of the food booths that are on display are great in combination with the wines that are in the tasting tour.

Be sure to ask the vendors at the food tables what wines that are currently in tasting go best with their foods. The vendors should have a list of the wineries and wines that are up for tasting, so they should be able to give you some additional insight with the food and wine combination.

Another benefit is that it will put food in your stomache, which will keep you from being tipsy early on in the wine festival.

3. Sample some of the wines from each of the different wine regions

Depending upon the size of the festival, the variety of wineries will dictate how many regions are introduced. At the Lafayette Wine Festival in Colorado, there were several different regions throughout the state represented. Colorado has some varied climates so there are a number of wines that should be tasted, to experience the variety of flavors that come from the Colorado wineries.

4. Keep track of your wine tastings on a score card

Most wine festivals will give you a card or sheet of paper to be able to keep track of your wine selections. As you taste the wine, keep track of the wine you tasted and how you liked the flavor. Get ideas from the wineries serving the wine about which foods would go best with the wines you really enjoyed, and write that down.

The more you take notes at the wine festival, the less you will have to think about after the festival. There is nothing more frustrating that trying to remember which wines you liked, and what foods they would go best with. After a full day of wine tasting, your brain cells probably won't function as well by the end of the day, so take notes as you go through the festival.

5. Have fun at the wine festival

Last but not least, as if I had to tell you... Have a lot of fun at the wine festival. Wine festivals are almost always a festive event where most people are having a great time. Experience the energy of people tasting wine, getting a bit tipsy, and just having a great time.

Meet and talk with the other wine festival attendees. You will usually find them quite friendly after an hour of wine tasting. The winery merchants are quite willing to talk to you about their wines, and the tours of their vinyards they offer. Make a full day of it and see if you can make a new friend or business associate.

Wine festivals can be a lot of fun and also a great learning experience for the wine enthusiast. Following some simple tips can give you a lot more out of the experience and will give you a great springboard to enjoy more wine festivals in your area or in another state entirely.

Copyright 2006 B Hopkins