Taper was not possible for me. I stopped cold and like the vast majority of alcoholics, suffered withdrawals that did not require medical intervention. Just a bad hangover really.
On occasion, I have sat with alcoholics who were unable to get into detox, administering a sip of wine to ease the withdrawal. We stay with the alcoholic round the clock and have a doctor just a phone call away. Each time the requirement for any alcohol has gone within the first 12 hours, so a long taper is likely to create more problems than it solves.