With the pandemic rules, most wineries, in the Napa / Sonoma region anyway, have gone to seated tastings by reservation. This controls the size of the crowd and the spacing of groups.
Since the end of the Great Recession wine prices and tasting fees have increased. Now with the added changes for the pandemic, it's officially sticker shock for anyone who hasn't been wine tasting in a while.
 |
| image from seghesio.com |
Per a survey by Silicon Valley Bank the average tasting fee in Napa is $58 for a regular tasting and $90 for a reserve tasting! In Sonoma County it's $30 regular and $50 reserve. Those average prices have doubled in the last five years. Part of that is because seated tastings were always more expense than standing at a tasting bar. Based on my own experience, there seem to be plenty of $20 and $25 tasting flights in Sonoma County. Most will waive that fee if you buy a certain amount.
All other parts of the country are less. Washington state, for example, is $15 on average.
I have been out to a number of wineries this summer when the tastings could be outside. Every time the seated tastings are a great experience; something better than walking in and standing at a crowded bar. And you know what? I've bought a lot more wine. This is what the studies have always said; seated tasters spend more per person than people standing at a bar. I'm thinking many wineries will never go back to the old way. Reservations and seated tastings are the future. So are higher tasting fees, unfortunately.
No comments:
Post a Comment