In a proper tasting, wine must be held up to the light to gauge its color, tossed on a cat's back to judge its acidity, and sipped through a crazy straw to annoy the host. Become the toast of any tasting with today's Groupon: for $20, you get $40 worth of wine with up to five complimentary tastings at Sugar Clay Winery & Vineyards in Thurman, Iowa.

Sugar Clay’s local oenophiles tend 6 acres of grapes before harvesting, stomping, and fermenting the fruit into 11 wines. At the tasting bar, visitors can swig up to five varietals and inhale whiffs of Viking festivities while tipping their noses toward 100% wildflower honey mead, a refreshing beverage swimming in notes of caramel, butter, and longship ($16). The medium-bodied Cedar Ridge Red envelops senses in a lightly oaked flavor and a faint resonance of smoky dried fruit ($16), and the three-grape Dutch Hollow White tickles buds with citrus overtones ($16). Guests can meander through the cozy shop to stock up for the holidays while gargling in tune with occasional live music.