Fall Is In The Air

Posted on by Brian Kirby

Contest is closed. Congratulations Mindy for leaving lucky comment 10!

Fall is just around the corner which means cooler temps, grape-harvest time and of course local wine. A busy time for winemakers and wineries alike, tasting rooms are busy and new vintages are being poured. That said I thought it would be a great time to post a list of helpful tips (and products) to make for a memorable visit:

  1. Be prepared to wait. Fall is a busy time and tasting rooms tend to fill up quickly. If you’re traveling in a larger group, call ahead and make reservations.
  2. If you’re familiar with the wineries offerings, purchase a bottle and enjoy outside. There is nothing better than spending a Fall afternoon with friends on the patio enjoying a nice cheese platter paired alongside a favorite wine. I recommend packing a blanket, wine opener and a holder for your wine and glasses. The Picnic Stix Wine Set is the perfect companion for picnics, concerts and more.
  3. Plan ahead. Most states offer web resources that cover their wine industry. Fall is a popular time for festivals and events, so do your homework before hitting the wine trail.
  4. Take notes! The holidays are right around the corner and nothing makes for a better gift than local wine. A simple, inexpensive, compact notebook to log all your tasting notes, the DeLong’s Wine Tasting Notebook is the perfect companion guide to refer back to after a day of tasting.
  5. Read my 10 tasting rules here.
  6. Bring along a friend and introduce them to local wines.

Have a wine accessory that you can’t live without? True Fabrications is generously offering one lucky reader a Cherry Wood 1-Bottle Wine Accessory Gift Set. To enter, visit their website and tell me a product that’s a “must have” for the wine connoisseur. For additional entries, do the following but leave a separate comment for each (this will allow you additional chances to win).

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Random.org will select a winner on September 19, 2010. U.S. residents only. Winner will be contacted via email and has 48 hours to respond. If no response is received, random.org will select another winner.

Good luck!

30 thoughts on “Fall Is In The Air”

  1. Pingback: Tweets that mention Fall Is In The Air | The Other 46 -- Topsy.com
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  4. A must have product for any wine connoisseur is a really good cork screw. There are many other items that are useful and fun to have but a cork screw is most definitely a must have!

  11. I have parties all the time and I can’t live without a few sets of wine charms. I love the Vintage Ornament Wine Charms for the holidays. Also great to have on hand for any last minute gifts.

  14. Nothing better than Virginia Wineries in the Fall!!!!I love my marble wine bottle holder, that is kept in my freezer, and ready for my bottle of white wine!

  20. One item I personally believe is a must have would be the following.

    http://www.truefabrications.com/shopexd.asp?id=1313

    You can stick it in your pocket, and you are never without an opener. It’s nice looking, and has 2 great features. The teflon makes it slide into a cork like a hot knife through butter, and the double hinge design gives you just the right amount of leverage to get the cork out, without splashing the contents of the bottle all over you in the process. I have one just like this, and will be buying one of these as a backup. Inexpenive and makes a great gift for anyone who loves wine.

    Side note – They work great on opening bottles for the beer lover in your family as well.

  23. While I love my corkscrew, I actually think the most important wine accessory in my bar at the moment is a wine stone to keep whites cold while out on the deck with my wife enjoying what little of summer we have left here in Virginia.

  28. I visited True Fabrications and for picnicking with wine those wine stix are definitely can’t live without items! Plus a good lever cork screw. I saw some nice ones on there that were affordable…also makes a nice gift with a bottle of someone’s favorite Virgina wine!

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