{"id":833,"date":"2017-12-31T17:44:34","date_gmt":"2017-12-31T17:44:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/powertasting.com\/?p=833"},"modified":"2017-12-31T17:45:17","modified_gmt":"2017-12-31T17:45:17","slug":"if-you-dont-speak-the-language","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/powertasting.com\/?p=833","title":{"rendered":"If You Don\u2019t Speak the Language"},"content":{"rendered":"

What do California, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand have in common?\u00a0 They are all places where great wine is made and the people speak English.\u00a0 If you are anglophone and your wine tasting travels take you to those places, you\u2019ll have no problems. \u00a0But if you want to taste Barolos or Riojas or Burgundies or Zweigelts, you may have a few problems.\u00a0 It helps that English is the world\u2019s second language, so that you\u2019re likely to find a server or guide who can talk to and understand you.<\/p>\n

In most cases, larger wineries with commercial tasting rooms generally hire people who can work with tourists, which means that someone there will be able to converse (at least somewhat) in English.\u00a0 However, much of the fun of wine tasting is meeting small producers of fine wines that you can\u2019t find back home.\u00a0 These are farmers and winemakers in important but less traveled corners of Wine Country.\u00a0 We well remember sitting in an Italian vineyard owner\u2019s kitchen, waiting for his daughter to arrive, so she could explain the wines he was making and serving to us.<\/p>\n

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The tasting room at Ricasoli in Tuscany, where the staff speak English very well.\u00a0 Photo courtesy of barone Ricasoli.<\/em><\/p>\n

So if you are planning to taste the wines in regions where English isn\u2019t always available, here are some tips.<\/p>\n