Wine Tasting from Enomatic Dispensers - who does it?

In Oz and Jame's Big Wine Adventure, the California edition, which is curently screening in New Zealand now, they featured Vino Venue in San Francisco in last night's episode. This is a wine tasting bar where the tastes are dispensed from Enomatic machines. It seems to be quite a social place, judging by the way it was portrayed on the show.

However, James, who never minces his words (he described a Paso Robles Wine Festival as 'a piss-up in a field') was very taken aback at the tiny pour he received after inserting his card, putting the glass under the dispenser and pressing the button. "Is that all," he said. It was about 10mls. He and Oz both ended up pressing buttons twice to get a representative tasting sample. (That was before they decided to have fun and create 'blends').

We have a couple of places in New Zealand, that I know of, that have these machines too. Wine Tastes in Queenstown and Fine Wine Delivery Company in Auckland.

I went to the Fine Wine Delivery Company in Auckland for a tasting the other day and thought exactly the same thing as James when just 10 ml was measured into my glass, so for every wine I tasted, I pressed the button twice so I had enough wine to make an objective assessment (I was taking notes and I didn't think 10ml enough to write a tasting note from).

So I wonder who tastes from these machines. Is 10ml the standard pour and if it is, do you buy two pours?

My quick head-math says 10 ml is about 1/3 of an ounce? Even free store tastings do more than that. Is this something one pays for?

My quick head-math says 10 ml is about 1/3 of an ounce? Even free store tastings do more than that. Is this something one pays for?

Absolutely. You buy a card with credits on it, depending on how much you pay. Each wine in the dispenser has a price - perhaps from $1.00 a sample up to $10 or $20 a sample, depending on the wine. Wines like Penfolds Grange are at the upper pricing level. So you can taste (or drink) until your credits are used up. Then you buy more credits.
Enomatic website. (right click to open in new page).
I guess whoever installs the Enomatic can control the size of the measured pour.

There's a relatively new wine bar in Manila called Cav and they have these Enomatic machines. There are 3 pour sizes per wine: 25, 50 and 75 ml if I remember right. Although the place is quite popular, wine geeks I know don't find it too interesting due to the high prices. I've only been there twice myself.

There's a relatively new wine bar in Manila called Cav and they have these Enomatic machines. There are 3 pour sizes per wine: 25, 50 and 75 ml if I remember right. Although the place is quite popular, wine geeks I know don't find it too interesting due to the high prices. I've only been there twice myself.

25ml is good for a taste. 75ml is a drink.
Cheers,
Sue

In Oz and Jame's Big Wine Adventure, the California edition, which is curently screening in New Zealand now, they featured Vino Venue in San Francisco in last night's episode. This is a wine tasting bar where the tastes are dispensed from Enomatic machines. It seems to be quite a social place, judging by the way it was portrayed on the show.

That episode must be somewhat old, as Vino Venue is no more and hasn't been in operation since last year.

I went to the Fine Wine Delivery Company in Auckland for a tasting the other day and thought exactly the same thing as James when just 10 ml was measured into my glass, so for every wine I tasted, I pressed the button twice so I had enough wine to make an objective assessment (I was taking notes and I didn't think 10ml enough to write a tasting note from).

So I wonder who tastes from these machines. Is 10ml the standard pour and if it is, do you buy two pours?

From what I saw of the clientele at Vino Venue and another wine bar that uses Enomatics, I'd say that they go for multiple pours. Personally, I find the whole concept befuddling and unappealing, as I think that the human contact of wine drinking is one of its biggest appeals.

Mark Lipton

That episode must be somewhat old, as Vino Venue is no more and hasn't been in operation since last year.

That episode first aired on BBC in November 2007, so typically we are about 6 months behind.
They had some grape harvesting (of Golden Chasselas of all things), so filmed during vintage. If Vino Venue closed a year ago, perhaps filmed during vintage 2006 rather than vintage 2007. Not sure.
DVD released in 2008. In the overview, James May and Oz Clarke are called 'actors'.

25 ml is a reasonable taste.
I'm with Mark, getting my wine from a machine doesn't especially appeal. Maybe those Enomatic wine bars that haven't closed could do promotions to Trekkies- wear your Federation uniform and get to use a replicator.

I'm with Mark, getting my wine from a machine doesn't especially appeal. Maybe those Enomatic wine bars that haven't closed could do promotions to Trekkies- wear your Federation uniform and get to use a replicator.

After Mark said Vino Venue had closed (seems to have closed in November last year, BTW), I did some googling and found a page of reviews.
Some are hilarious. Some reviewers loved it. But many more did complain about the size of the pour and the sterility of the whole concept.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/vino-venue-san-francisco (right click to open in new window)

Hell in a handbasket, no?

25 ml is a reasonable taste.
I'm with Mark, getting my wine from a machine doesn't especially appeal. Maybe those Enomatic wine bars that haven't closed could do promotions to Trekkies- wear your Federation uniform and get to use a replicator.

Did you know that the great alcohol Control State of Pennsylvania is talking about legislation to allow wine dispensing vending machines located at grocery stores so that the public can buy wine in grocery stores?

They seek machines that will protect against underage buying as well as inebriated buyers.

Sounds to me like PA legislators have been dispensing weird Kool-Aid.

Did you know that the great alcohol Control State of Pennsylvania is talking about legislation to allow wine dispensing vending machines located at grocery stores so that the public can buy wine in grocery stores?

Just a clarification: The machines Pennsylvania wants to put in grocery stores would dispense bottles rather than pours. Not that that makes it a good idea...

Did you know that the great alcohol Control State of Pennsylvania is talking about legislation to allow wine dispensing vending machines located at grocery stores so that the public can buy wine in grocery stores?

Just a clarification: The machines Pennsylvania wants to put in grocery stores would dispense bottles rather than pours. Not that that makes it a good idea...

1.5 liters???

1.5 liters???

We can only hope... I'd actually like to see a machine dispense one.

For those interested in the arcane world of the PLCB, it looks to me that this is a way to get the PLCB into the grocery stores without them having to hire a lot more employees. There has been pressure from consumers to provide wine in grocery stores, but the PLCB is loathe to give up any of its control. No way will they let anyone else sell wine or spirits in the state, so grocery store sales would have to be through the PLCB and its agents. A few years back, the local Weis Market expanded, and part of the space was going to be a new Wine and Spirits Shoppe in the store so customers could pick up a bottle for dinner without having to drive downtown to the state store. For whatever reasons, that plan fell through. Apparently the pressure is still on, and now they are getting ready to solicit bids on these fancy machines that will read biometric info to verify that sales are not to minors. Customers will have to register and have data recorded in order to use these things...

Would such a vending machine work in conjunction with a coin operated alcohol testing breathalyzer vending machine?

Salute

The whole thing shows to what degree ***holes will go to maintain control. These are the same idiots who tell us that they need control in order to ensure that children and drunks don't have access to alcohol--and yet they are going to try to sell the concept that a vending machine can be controlled. They'll have to have 24-hour guards on the things.

Just got me a vision of a few inebriated souls toying with a vending machine until it can no longer function properly and it spews bottles of wine like a one arm bandit payout.

I can already see the counterfeit ring that will sell registration cards to high schoolers, or the line of muggers waiting outside the vending machine kiosk...

The whole thing shows to what degree ***holes will go to maintain control. These are the same idiots who tell us that they need control in order to ensure that children and drunks don't have access to alcohol--and yet they are going to try to sell the concept that a vending machine can be controlled. They'll have to have 24-hour guards on the things.

Just got me a vision of a few inebriated souls toying with a vending machine until it can no longer function properly and it spews bottles of wine like a one arm bandit payout.

I can already see the counterfeit ring that will sell registration cards to high schoolers, or the line of muggers waiting outside the vending machine kiosk...

What happened to the good old days when children just made their own wine?