by Joe LaVilla

Wineries have many different marketing methods to attract consumers, the most personal of which is the tasting room.  It is in this intimate setting that the winery is able to show its true colors while trying to win converts through small tastes and conversation.  Sounds like a harmonious gathering of interested customers, proud winemakers, and their representatives, brought together by the mutual love of wine and celebrating the harvest, right? 

Unfortunately, it can be far from that ideal.

As a sommelier, chef and author, I have hit up lots of tasting rooms.  Some have been spectacular –shining examples of hospitality that have won me over even when I was not the biggest fan of the wine.  Others have lost me as a customer faster than you can say “Next”.  I have also seen my fellow tasters become so obnoxious and demanding that I pity the poor soul behind the bar.  Let’s review the good and the bad from both sides of the bottle.

As the customer:

1. This is not a frat party.  These winemakers toil long and hard to make a product.  The tasting room is not the place to act like you’re at the local Hooters ordering shots for your buddies.  Yes, you are having alcohol, but it is intended for you to try new things and hopefully buy a bottle.  It’s not meant for you to “get your drink on” to the point of becoming a threat to every driver in the parking lot, let alone the road.

2. Pay the fee.  Most wineries charge for tastings.   I don’t know how many people I have heard muttering (or blatantly complaining) about the price.  The winery is not there to give away product for your pleasure; it is a business after all. The staff isn’t working for free, the product must be accounted for, and unless you enjoy a rugged wine-tasting among vines and insects, there are facilities to maintain.  A measly five bucks for a taste of 6 wines (which is cheaper than any by-the-glass fee you would pay in a restaurant by the way) is a reasonable request.  Plus, when you buy a bottle, the wine is usually discounted the amount of the tasting fee.  Buy the one you like and have a souvenir of the trip. It sure beats a key chain. 

3. Try them all (or at least most of them).  The wines are poured in a classic tasting series – white before red, dry before sweet, simple before complex.  It’s poor etiquette to walk in and just demand their high-end, expensive wine to taste.  If you don’t like whites (or reds) at least taste the flight of what you do like.  Seeing the progression of styles will let you experience the progression of complexity and intensity of the wines.  You may even find a less expensive version you could purchase more frequently rather than just the occasional splurge bottle.

For the wineries:

I must admit that I am shocked by the variation in the tasting room procedures of some wineries.  I have been turned off by several well-known, well-respected wineries because of a “less-than-satisfactory” tasting room experience – and that was AFTER I identified myself as a sommelier.  These comments below came from actual experiences when some chef friends and I went on a tasting tour.

1. Don’t make the customer feel like a burden.  Why would a winery put someone on the front line of its tasting bar when that individual doesn’t seem to like people?  At one famous winery in Napa it seemed to be an enormous effort for the pourer to serve the six chefs and sommeliers in my party.  I understand that most people in the tasting room are uneducated (see the customer section above) but to be put out because a group came in to taste your wines?  I’ll spend my money elsewhere.

2. You’re in the hospitality business, be hospitable.  At another well- known winery with a much larger consumer reach, I thought our server was a robot.  The room was not full, yet the drone lacked the ability to make eye contact or give us any information on the wine we were going to taste. In fact, the only thing that interrupted his blank stare into space was the accumulation of empty glasses that signaled that we were ready for the next wine.  What told me he wasn’t a robot? His announcement that followed the last pour:  “I am going on my lunch break.”  He then WALKED AWAY before we had even raised the glasses to our lips. As far as I know, Robots don’t eat lunch.

3. Hello? Is this thing on?  At one tasting room that sampled wines from multiple wineries in the region, I was surprised by how hard it was to have a tasting. As we paced around looking for someone to help us, the two employees behind the counter were so busy checking texts on their cell phones and unpacking supplies that they didn’t notice the five people wanting to taste wine–the only five people in the room. I love that region’s wines and will not avoid buying them, just not from that tasting room.

I have withheld the names of the wineries because I do not want to sour their reputations due to my experiences; even well-oiled machines have the occasional “off-day.” For the same reason, I hesitate to boast about those who showed great hospitality, however I will share a few anonymous examples.

One winery that we visited offered a tasting and tour that required reservations. When we arrived, the tour was booked, but we were told that we would be accommodated if there were any last-minute openings. Although there were no openings, four glasses of wine appeared before us so that we could at least enjoy some of the wine if not the experience.

At a large, well known Canadian winery, I walked into the tasting room and saw at least a dozen tasting stations.  The room was packed, yet our tasting representative was friendly, skillful (juggling several tasters) and informative.  The experience was surprisingly intimate for such a large company and space and it made me want to buy wine there even though I can get it anywhere.

Finally, I share one of my favorites, and not just because I am a chef as well as a sommelier.  This particular winery was known for pairing food bites with their tastings. The chef and the manager both made themselves available to chat which led to a more in-depth discussion on the philosophy of food and wine.

Tasting rooms are wonderful marketing tools that have the power to expand the horizons of patrons if they are reasonably managed. And so, to both wine tasters and pourers, I say “mind your manners.”

Please, and thank you.

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About Joe LaVilla

Chef LaVilla is the Academic Director for the Culinary Arts programs at the International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Phoenix. Besides being a Certified Executive Chef, Chef LaVilla also holds a certification from the International Sommelier Guild (ISG) as a Certified Sommelier. In addition, Chef LaVilla is experienced in food styling, food and wine pairing, the hospitality industry, culinary arts management, and more.

Before joining The Art Institute of Phoenix, LaVilla had been Executive Chef for Tucchetti restaurant in Phoenix. He has worked for Mark Tarbell as well as Wolfgang Puck. His credits include, “Faculty of the Year” award at The Art Institute of Phoenix; finalist in the Arizona Pork Council Taste of Elegance Competition; and author of the textbook “The Handbook of Wine, Beer and Spirits: A Guide to Styles and Service”.

Chef LaVilla received his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of Rochester and his Bachelor of Arts degree, Cum Laude, in Chemistry from Cornell University. He also received an associate’s degree in Culinary Arts from the Culinary Institute of America, where he graduated with honors.