Going to a barrel tasting

Wine club barrel tastings

Barrel tastings are a chance for wine connoisseurs to try the most recent vintages and guess how good the wine will eventually become, and to meet connoisseurs and get their opinions. You may also get the chance to buy wine futures at a discount. Many wine clubs hold barrel tasting events.

Good rules to follow at any wine tasting are to wear nothing strong-smelling like perfume or cologne, and to limit the number of wine tastings. If in doubt, pick something you’ve never had before, because the whole point of going to a barrel tasting is to discover new wines.

Barrel tastings vineyard near St. Helena

Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards in Napa Valley holds tastings in its barrel caves. One tasting fee can be waived by joining their wine club or making a $100 purchase.

Try a recent Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, a complex wine grown from numerous clonal varieties of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape. An older Estate Reserve Cab, 2007, was formed by a cold and dry early and middle year, with a sudden burst of heat around Labor Day that helped the grapes produce more sugars. The result was a dark ruby red wine with an aroma of dark fruit, Bing cherries and licorice. Its flavor is balanced between fruit, oak and acid, with sweet tannins and hints of chocolate cake.

Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards is a 40-acre estate just south of Howell Mountain near St. Helena, and has been owned and operated by the Anderson family since 1983. Anderson’s wines are sold online and in five locations in Napa Valley, and many other locations nationwide.