Tasting Rooms Might Be Changing Permanently

  Covid rules changed the way we eat and drink outside the home. No more elbow-to-elbow dining or drinking. Wine tasting rooms have adjusted. It was a fairly easy change for some wineries that were already doing much of what Covid rules require.

  Tasting moved outdoors for safety. Crowds were limited by reservations. Tasting was seated at individual tables to keep groups at least six feet apart. Many wineries have been doing something similar all along while the most popular spots (by the number of visitors) were open on a drop in basis. You could show up whenever you wanted and there might be an empty tasting room awaiting you or it might be three-deep at the bar.

  The days of dropping in whenever are largely gone now and may not be coming back. Why? This is something many have advocated for a long time. With drop in tasting you have to staff for the largest expected surge of the day and even then people don't get great service. There have been times where I've poured and said something like, "This is pinot noir" then moved right over to the next waiting people and keep that up until the crowd thins. That's no way to work and it's no way to have to treat customers.

  There are studies that show the per dollars spent per visitor is higher with seated tastings. And seated tasting where a staff member sits with you and takes you through the wines is higher dollars spent vs. a waiter-type arrangement as is being used now during Covid as the employees can't safely hang out at your table. 

You may not see much of this post-Covid

  So it's likely many wineries will stay with reservations and seated tastings. Most visitors love this arrangement though some don't like being on a schedule when on vacation (Winery A at 11 am, lunch, Winery B at 1 pm, Winery C at 2:30pm...). Even with tasting rooms taking appointments if you show up without one and they have a spot they may very well let you sit down and enjoy the wines, but you never know if that will work. 

  It seems more planning for your wine tastings may be here to stay.  Are there any other downsides other than the advance planning? With all appointments you might have to rush between appointments or you may have a half hour to kill. Also, there will be less discovery of new wineries as in, "Look at that one, looks interesting, let's give it a try!"