Here is one key thing you need to know to have fun going wine tasting in the foothills and valleys around this region: Nothing. It's wine tasting. How hard can it be?

That doesn't mean there aren't ways to have even more fun, so we have a few tips along those lines for everyone, from beginners to seasoned wine lovers. And how great is that: wine tasting that's even more fun than the regular wine tasting fun?

Here is the other key thing to know: There is some seriously great wine in this region. Napa Valley and Sonoma get the big headlines, and they deserve them, but so does the wine country around here like Lodi, Clarksburg, the foothills and more.

And for what it's worth, none of those places are newbies to grape growing and winemaking. Some of the oldest vineyards in California are in the foothills, going back to the mid-1800s and the Gold Rush. Lots of grapes from our region find their way into some of California's top wines, including some bigname Napa bottles.

But the wines are different from Napa's and Sonoma's, and so is the experience. Tasting rooms and wineries are a lot more casual here, and you have a way better chance of meeting the winemaker on a weekend visit. Odds of that in most big Napa wineries are about the same as finding a zebra in the tasting room, though I hear zebras do love a good pinot noir.

As for the wines here, our region is a tad warmer than coastal-influenced wine country, not that you couldn't tell considering the summer we've been having. So that means some different grape varietals grow in our vineyards.

In general, you're going to find a lot less chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon. Those are, by a long ways, the two most popular wine grapes in California. But both, and particularly chardonnay, need a bit of cool weather to really shine.

Zins and much more

That doesn't mean there's no good chard or cab around here, just less. You'll most likely find them coming from cool and breezy parts of the Delta and from higher elevations in the foothills. But plenty of grapes grow very well in the summer warmth, starting with our old friend zinfandel.

Lodi is world-class zinfandel country. So is Amador County. So is El Dorado County. So is Nevada County. So is pretty much everywhere around here, and you'll find every style of zin - big and jammy, spicy, peppery, subtle and restrained. So that's one of the things to think about on your wine tasting adventure. What kind of zin is your favorite?

Barbera is another hot red wine at the moment, for lots of good reasons. It grows very well in the foothills and can be lush, delicious and complex.

Probably the most common whites you'll find in our warmer weather are sauvignon blanc, a relatively lean and bright wine, and viognier, which can be luscious and rich and make you think of a summer garden filled with fruit and flowers.

Plenty other varietals grow well here, too, and another piece of advice is to try some wines you don't know well. Let the people in the tasting room explain them to you, then give 'em a shot.

One of the joys of tasting in our region is that, because not everyone offers cabernet or chardonnay, wineries make a range of wines. So you'll get to try terrific whites made from grapes like chenin blanc, roussanne, marsanne and more, and killer reds like sangiovese, syrah, grenache and petite sirah, to name a few. (FYI, for anyone asking, syrah and petite sirah are totally unrelated grapes. You probably knew that, but I get the question a lot.)

Tips ease

Here are a few more specific tips:

Bring a cooler. A hot car, or even a warm one, can cook the wines you buy. I've seen this mistake made by people up and down the experience scale. A sommelier friend recently boiled a couple of very expensive bottles he left in his car during a lunch stop because he forgot he had them. So treat your wine almost as if it were a small child - and I'm not opposed to securing it in a car seat if you want.

When you're tasting, the first sip of a new wine is really a palate cleanser. Wait a few seconds, then take a second sip - that'll be a better, clearer taste of the wine. After that, you're not wine tasting, you're wine drinking. Not saying there's anything wrong with that, just defining terms.

If you find a wine you like, buy a bottle. That way, you'll remember it, plus you'll have a bottle of a wine you like.

But don't feel obligated to buy something. The deal with the winery is simple: They pour; you taste. They're selling to you, trying to turn you into a customer. You are not required to buy. However, first, see the above point, and second, if they're nice and you like their wine, why not? But you don't have to.

Plan to picnic. You're probably better off provisioning before you leave, because many wineries don't have food or aren't near stores. Plus you'll have a cooler with you. Most wineries in our region have pretty picnic grounds and usually all they ask is that you buy a bottle - and, once again, isn't that why you came?

Drink water. I'm not gonna go all schoolmarm on you, but I'll just say, hydration is important.

Ask questions, especially if you're not sure what the winery folk are talking about. Even ace wine lovers can get turned around by winespeak, and some tasting room people forget that. Going wine tasting is a fun thing, not a test of coolness - knowing every wine production term is not a sign of cool, anyway - and wouldn't you rather learn a bit while you're there? Also, when you ask questions, you seem interested, so they might pour you more wine.

One last thing. A whole bunch of tasting rooms around our wine region don't charge for tastings. I know. Free. Why aren't we out tasting right now?

LET POURING REIGN

Let's pause for a moment for maybe the only rule of wine tasting that matters: If you love it, you're right. If you hate it, you're right.

There is no "correct" wine or style. Some wines get hefty scores or big deal recommendations. Critics and wine drinkers push what they consider great, and that does generally mean those wines are worth trying. But if you don't like them, that's perfectly cool.

Drink what you like. And anyone who tells you otherwise or gives you a hard time is not cool.

Like what you drink. So one of the things to do when you go tasting at a few wineries or through a few regions, is try to figure out the varietals and styles of wine you do like, so you can find them again and drink more.

Simple is fine. When you taste, don't kill yourself to pick out flavors of currants, or quince, or whatever. That's fun - if you want - but mostly just ask yourself if you like it, and why.

© Copyright The Sacramento Bee. All rights reserved.

• Read more articles by Rick Kushman

Order Reprint