A Few Ways the Tasting Room Has Changed

There have been major changes in the way wine tasting rooms operate in the past few years. You might already know this if you've been wine tasting in a major U.S. region post-Pandemic. Even if it's been just two or three years, you'll find things settling in to a new norm.

Wine tasting has come a long way from the days of the
plastic cup on a barrel in the cellar

Reservations and Walk-ins

The strict reservation-only policies just after reopening post-Pandemic is adjusting to allow walk-ins for many wineries. There will still be some that are reservation-only as there were before the lockdown, but many will take you if there's room. The advantage to a reservation is a guaranteed spot at the time of your choosing. If you are visiting a popular winery on a busy day you risk being turned away without that reservation.

More Tasting Experiences

Many people are looking for an unforgettable experience that lasts for a couple of hours, rather than just a basic four or five wine tasting. There are more options such as seated reserve tastings, food with your wine, or barrel tastings. These elevated tastings come at an elevated price. All tasting fees, from basic to fancy, have gone up in price, so keep this in mind when budgeting for a trip.

More Club Options

Wine clubs have expended from having one or two options to having several. As you go up the ladder in wine club choices, it'll be more money per year, hopefully with better benefits. That's another thing to watch, is wine club member benefits, as some wineries are reeling these in and offering less. I've found sometimes it's better cost-wise to buy and ship a case while you're in the tasting room, assuming there's a case discount (and there should be), instead of joining the club and getting two or three shipments over the next year.

Tipping

Remember when tipping used to only be 15% and only at restaurants? Ah, the good ol' days. There's tipping in the tasting room now, something that wasn't common a few years ago.

More Outreach

You're likely to receive more email from the wineries you visit after returning home. This is to strengthen their bond with the customer, boost the awareness of their brand, and get more sales after the customer has gone home. "Jeez, I wish I'd bought more of that xxx wine while we was there. Oh look, a ten percent off coupon!"

Many offer online tastings or meetings periodically. This started with the lockdown, allowing wineries to keep in touch with customers and hopefully sell more wine. It appears to be successful enough to continue.