Tasting Room Etiquette

Tasting Room 101

Do you know why they ask you
 to drive slowly?

What to Expect

A tasting room is a place to sample various wines from a particular winery or sometimes several wine producers share one tasting facility.   You'll get to sample several approximately one-ounce pours of wines.

Each tasting room has a different menu of the wines offered and the cost to taste, if any.  The menu, or list of wines, should be in the tasting order, include the prices, and maybe a description of the wines.  It's OK to skip wines on the menu you don't wish to sample.  Maybe they'll have something else to substitute.

If you don't want to finish a wine you've been poured there should be a "dump bucket" available.  If you're dumping wine it can either be because you don't like it or you are trying to be responsible and not overindulge. Either will be fine with your tasting room host/hostess.

If you don't like the wine menu for some reason or the price of the tasting fee it's OK to leave without tasting.  A good way to keep the price down is to share a tasting with someone.

Once your tasting is finished you can purchase or you can say, "Thank you" and leave.

From the movie Sideways
Image from huffingtonpost.com

How to Act

And not be intimidated or come across like a dufus.

It's OK:

• if you don't know much about wine.
• if you can't pronounce the names of some wines
• don't know a varietal from an appellation
• if you don't like what someone else likes even if they're the "expert"

You're there to learn, I hope.   Ask questions.  I've never had anyone ask too dumb of a question.

A few don'ts:

• Rather than walking in and saying, "I want your sweetest wine" try something like, "I usually drink white zinfandel at home. What do you think I'd like"?
• If you don't like the small size of the pour don't ask them to "fill'er up" as that's against the law.
• It's not self-serve.  You cannot pick up a bottle from the bar and pour your own.
• If you skip out on paying a tasting fee you are stealing.  

How to Taste

 A few things to know:

• Most of what you get is via your sense of smell, not taste.  If you have a cold, just had a spicy meal, or are chewing gum you won't be able to make an accurate judgment about what you are tasting.
• What you like is ultimately up to you.  What tastes good to you is what you like, not what someone says you should like.
• The wine may taste different back home depending on the setting.  Some wine tastes better in hot weather vs. cold, some are better with food.

If the Tasting Room is crowded:

• You might want to leave and go elsewhere as the service may be slow and impersonal.
• When you get a spot at the bar let one person stand there and the rest in your party behind them.  This way your group doesn't hog the tasting bar.
• Speaking of "hog"  the staff behind the bar will have lots of people to serve.  Don't take up too much of their time telling them the story of your great uncle during Prohibition and what he used to make at home.

It's Educational

Whether you're new to wine or think you know a lot there's more to learn every time to taste wine.  That's what makes it fun.   Do you only drink Chardonnay at home?   This is your big chance to try lots of other wines.

Bad Wine

Eventually you will run across a bad wine being poured if you do enough tastings.  Some wines are flawed when they're opened; sometimes a wine is left open too long in the tasting room.   Cork taint is a specific flaw and is the most common cause of bad wine.  The wine can be musty, moldy, or smell of wet cardboard if it's really bad or the fruit won't be as prominent if it's slightly corked.  If a wine is left open too long, and that can happen during the slow times, it will become oxidized.  It'll smell and taste like a bad Sherry and have a nutty smell.

Do you think you notice something wrong with a wine you taste?  Let the person know there may be a problem with a wine.  Why aren't all wines checked before they're poured for you?   Could be a sloppy host/hostess, a too busy host/hostess, or a bad management decision (not allowing the staff to sample the wines).

Wine Clubs

A wine club is where a winery will ship you a set number of wines at a set frequency (as two bottles every three months).  You'll get enticed with special discounts and events for club members.  Wine clubs are very profitable for wineries.  That's why most of them will push their club.

This doesn't mean you shouldn't join any wine clubs--just be selective.  The best ones give you wines you won't find back home on the store shelf.
 
Questions to ask before joining any wine club:

• I live in [state].  Can I join your wine club?  It's not legal to ship wine to many states.
• What clubs do you have (only one, a red and white, red wine only, library wine club)?
• How many bottles am I getting and how often?
• What wines are scheduled to be shipped this year?
• How much am I charged?  For the wine and for shipping.
• Is there a fee to join?  If there is run!
• What's the cancellation policy?  Some let you cancel the next day. Some make you take a certain number of shipments before you can drop.
• Do you ship over the summer?  If they do run!  You don't need hot wine delivered to your doorstep.
• What discounts do club members receive?  Any other special offerings?  Many offer special events for club members but if you live 2,000 miles away this won't mean much to you.

The Law

Wineries operate off permits.  There are different classifications.   The one thing that is common is the tasting pour size.  It's supposed to be one to 1-1/2 ounces. 

Closing times will vary by their policy and by what's on their permit.   Some can sell you a glass of wine, some can sell you a bottle to consume on the property, but for many wineries this is illegal.   It's not legal to bring in outside alcohol for your picnic.

Winery personnel can ask anyone for ID before serving.  The ID is to contain a photo, a description, and not be expired.  Note that passports do not meet this criteria as they do not contain a description. 

If for any reason a server thinks you've had too much fun and won't serve you that is their right.   If they serve someone who may be over the legal limit or may be under 21 years of age the winery will be held responsible and so will the individual.   Think about what you would do if you were in their situation.

Getting Wine Home

A winery will ship the wine to you if it's legal in your state.   Or you can collect bottles from various wineries and have it shipped by another shipping company.  Federal law says there must be an adult at home to accept the wine. If no one is home during the day have it shipped to your work or a neighbor.

If you take wine along in your car remember that sunlight and heat will destroy your wine.


What You Should Do

Enjoy, ask questions, learn, have fun!


Answer to the question in the first photo above:  
They want you to drive slowly if you are driving next to grape vines so as not to coat the grapes with dust.