photo by Alex Maness

Max Lloyd, co-owner with his wife, Denise, of the Grove Winery in northeastern Guilford County, is a third-generation winemaker who dabbled in homemade wines and wine judging before going commercial.  The family operation’s first vineyard was planted in 1993 within view of Virginia’s Smith Mountain. By 2001, they acquired property for a winery and more vines on Brooks Bridge Road near Monticello. The first bottled public product followed only two years later.

More and more people are learning about wine by touring regional wineries. How should you plan for such an excursion?
First, allot at least one hour per winery, plus travel time, especially if the winery offers a tour. It’s also wise to dress casually and wear comfortable shoes — there’s some walking and, during the tasting, some standing around, so high heels, for instance, are not recommended. If you’ll visit two or more wineries or vineyards, a designated driver is always a good idea. Furthermore, a stop for a good meal will enhance the flavors of the wines and help balance the alcohol intake.

Realistically, how many wines can you taste in one day and still discern flavors and subtleties?
If you take a meal break, I believe you can taste several dozen wines in a single day. Keep in mind that in tasting rooms it’s OK either to spit out or pour out excess wine from a sample.

Whether you’re attending a tasting or hosting your own, what’s the correct order for presenting wines?
You should move from fruity-dry whites to minerally dry whites, then red wines, and finish with dessert wines.

When you are tasting, what should you do and what are you looking for?
Given the opportunity, inspect the bottle to make sure it’s the right one, then look at the cork — is there any sign of dryness, rot, or mold? That’s your first clue to a bad wine. Pour an ounce or two into your glass, then study it. Is it the right color? And if it is a filtered wine, is it clear?
Place the glass on the table or counter and swirl it — this releases the flavors and aromas. Put your nose into the glass and sniff. Sense of smell is much more accurate than sense of taste. There can be very positive results — nice fruits or other aromas — or off-smells that might confirm a suspicious cork.
Take a first sip, slurping to get oxygen into the wine, and let the wine coat all of your tongue surfaces. This should allow you to make a fair judgment of whether or not the wine appeals to you.

What would you suggest stocking at home?
I recommend having a dry white, a fruity white, a light and a heavy red, a dessert wine, and a sparkling wine. I also like to have “conversation pieces” — a wine from someplace you traveled or a winery you visited — something with a story to tell. You may also want to represent different countries or regions.

What makes a good gift wine?
Again, a wine with a story behind it. Just don’t expect your hosts to open it that evening — it may not fit what they’re serving.

What’s the right temperature for storing wine?
Just about all wines should be kept at around 55 degrees. Reds should be served at that temperature and whites at about 45 degrees.

How long can you keep a wine that’s been opened?
A standard corked wine is good for a day or two, maybe twice that when refrigerated or with a vacuum stopper. If you move it to a smaller glass container, that also helps.

What’s your opinion: screw tops or corks?
For well-made wines, screw tops are as good or better for whites, and about the same for reds. Screw tops are best for a picnic, while cork tops are more stylish.