Op Ed: As Consumers We Really Dislike Inconsistent Tasting Room Fees

Wine Times at Simi in Sonoma

With the Summer season coming soon winery tasting rooms around the Northern Hemisphere will be inundated with wine fans and tourists looking for the next gem in their cellar and/or glass.  So when you look at what it takes to run a winery, we get it, it's expensive and more importantly you don't want your tasting room to be considered a singles bar (does anyone even use that term anymore?).  We empathize with the winery owner trying to walk a very fine line.

Plus we should say right off the top, if you are in a jurisdiction where charging for tastings is mandated then this totally doesn't apply to you.  It is what it is and let's move on.  However, if you're not, we beg your indulgence to hear us out as consumers (and we know you've heard it before).

Different winery, different policy.  That leaves a bad taste...figuratively speaking.

We've been to different wine regions across North America and in each region there are different policies/traditions for wineries and whether or not (or how much) they charge for their tastings.

Here is an example of a winery visitor experience:

Winery 1: $5 for three samples, then $2 for each one after that or $7 for three Reserve Wines.

Winery 2: $5 tasting fee (no limits)

Winery 3: No tasting fee

Winery 4: $5 tasting fee (waived with purchase)

As a consumer this is confusing at best and maddening at worst.

It shouldn't be about the money though we know that more often than not it is or, at minimum, it's used as a behavior modifier.

So smarty pants, you might ask, what do you recommend?  

Well, we're glad you asked.

1) Have the unwritten rule for your staff that if I buy wine (with a 1 or 2 bottle minimum) you'll waive the tasting fee...always.  If I don't buy anything at all, or I'm a jerk to your staff, or a drunk then charge me up the wazoo.  As a consumer if we feel that we're being specially treated, it will improve our experience and potentially our opinion of the wines.  It's human nature.

2) Don't belabor the fact you charge for tastings.  Make it matter of fact and then wow us by waiving it because we're such 'great customers'.

3) If it helps, make the policy and the signage dead obvious and easy to understand and then wow us when you waive it.

4) If you are part of a winery association put your collective heads together and be consistent with your policies even if you need to change your individual policy to conform.  Why?  Because your consumer notices it a LOT and are put-off by inconsistencies.

5) You will sell more wine.  While we can't put numbers behind this, we can tell you (albeit from anecdotal personal testimonial) that our best experiences have come from those wink, wink 'we'll waive that fee for you' moments.

6) You might consider your wines to be premium, but in a wine region with other competitors you're one of a bunch so unless you have a price point that reflects a premium market then play our little game.

Group tours are a different beast

We've seen it a number of times when visiting wineries, the bus shows up.  Whether pre-planned or a surprise, a large group of wine tasters can cause havoc in a busy tasting room.  So, if they need a bracelet or tickets or whatever, then do what you have to do to get through the insanity.

All bets are off.

Consistency sets our expectations

Consumers don't like surprises and being told one thing at one winery and something different at another gets tiring.  A $15 Chardonnay at winery 1 with no tasting fee and a $15 Chardonnay at winery 2 where we need to pay $2 for a sample does not equate, it is still a $15 Chardonnay but now we feel like it is a $17 Chardonnay.  See where we're going with this....

All we want is to enjoy your tasting room, relax, and most likely buy some wine.  But if we don't then it's okay to charge us for the pleasure of trying your wine.  Make that as dead easy and enjoyable for us.  Make us feel special and we may even buy more.

To the wineries: Here's hoping that you have a great high season and that the shelves are emptied of all their stock.

To consumers: Please try to be on your best behavior and don't make it harder for wineries than it needs to be and most importantly when you go to tasting rooms, buy some wine.

Keep on tasting,

Chris & Shannon