Tasting v Private Tasting

I've contacted one of the wineries David mentioned in my Wine Tips in Ontario question and asked how much they charge for tastings. I've contacted two actually but only one has answered.

Answer:

$5 for 3 samples on our tasting bar, or a private tasting in our cellar of 3-4 wines for $10.00 per person.

Is this tasting scenario and pricing common in Ontario?

In the 'private tasting', for double the price and maybe the same number of wines, I assume you get someone to tell you where the grapes were grown, how the wine was made and what you should be tasting. Apart from seeing the move Sideways, I only have NZ/Australian experience where most tasting is done in the cellar door, standing at a tasting bar or counter and information spills forth by the enthusiastic cellar door staff.

the tasting fee is mostly to keep out the rif raf. if you buy even one bottle i don't remember being charged a tasting fee. if you are in the business and have a card, you can often taste for free as a professional courtesy. taking notes shows a certain level of interest and suggests you might be a wine writer back home - usually no tasting fee then. i often prefer to pay the fee rather than have to buy something i don't really care for. whatever they say is open, there are usually a number of other things open that you can inquire about.

I don't know the protocol in Ontario, but in California most wineries charge a small tasting fee--as stated, this is to keep out the riff raff looking for a cheap drunk. Most places waive the fee if you buy anything, and sometimes if they see you're a serious amateur they will neglect to charge you. Many places in California offer a premium "private tasting" where they pour wines not usually open in the main tasting room--reserves and whatnot.

-Paul W.

rrif raf riff raff. What are they
Don't want any favours. Want to see what it like to travel the world as a wine tourist and write about it as a wine tourist not a wine writer who is given 'special treatment'.

Want to see what it like to travel the world as a wine tourist and write about it as a wine tourist not a wine writer who is given 'special treatment'.

The two experiences can be veeeery different. On one occasion in particular I was disapponted with a tasting experience at a place recommended by a writer - not a winery in this case, but the Wines of Portugal office in Porto.

Generally speaking I am not sure I want to be treated as neither tourist nor wine writer. Somewhere in between would be nice. I'm happy to pay for tasting samples, especially as buying wine is not always an option if I am flying home. But sometimes I think it would be nice if there were an internationally recognised card I could wave which indicates that I "know a bit about wine and do not want to be bullshitted or patronised, and do not want to be fobbed off with just a couple of your entry-level wines". From my very limited experience some places will soon pick up that you are serious about wine. Maybe it is the way I swirl the wine and spit But others employ staff that resolutely stick to tourist patter.

Want to see what it like to travel the world as a wine tourist and write about it as a wine tourist not a wine writer who is given 'special treatment'.

The two experiences can be veeeery different. On one occasion in particular I was disapponted with a tasting experience at a place recommended by a writer - not a winery in this case, but the Wines of Portugal office in Porto.

Generally speaking I am not sure I want to be treated as neither tourist nor wine writer. Somewhere in between would be nice. I'm happy to pay for tasting samples, especially as buying wine is not always an option if I am flying home. But sometimes I think it would be nice if there were an internationally recognised card I could wave which indicates that I "know a bit about wine and do not want to be bullshitted or patronised, and do not want to be fobbed off with just a couple of your entry-level wines". From my very limited experience some places will soon pick up that you are serious about wine. Maybe it is the way I swirl the wine and spit But others employ staff that resolutely stick to tourist patter.

Bullshit and patronising goes on far too much. Yes happy to pay for tasting samples but like you do not want to be fobbed off. And isn't everyone a wine writer these days, with twitter, blogs, forums, facebook, etc. Most people pick up I know something about wine when the see the notebook come out and ask for a spittoon.

I have never tried to go a-wining in Ontario, so I have no idea what goes on there. Here in Sonoma and Napa Counties, if a winery offers "private" tastings, the fee is what you pay for the "private" part, which usually includes a look at the barrel room and tasting there, and some discussion with someone who actually works with the wine, rather than a tasting room attendant (see note below). I've only done a private tasting twice, and once I was with a nephew who is ITB, so I have no idea how the finances were handled. The other time, the fee waiver was the same as usual, buy a bottle, no fee.
I have occasionally visited wineries in Sonoma County where I wasn't sufficiently impressed even to buy a "courtesy" bottle. Sometimes they just say, "Goodbye, enjoyed talking with you!" and other times they expect a fee.
(note re tasting room attendants) Tasting room attendants run the gamut. Generally the smaller the winery the more knowledgeable the attendants. At Yoakim Bridge in Dry Creek Valley, you'll talk to David or Virginia, and they are the people with their name on the business card. At Joseph Swan, if it isn't Cody or Chris, who are, i believe, full-time employees and in effect assistant winemakers (I have no idea whether there is any such formality there), it'll be Rod himself or Lynn Swan Berglund. Occasionally, their very knowledgeable friend Karen helps out.
Bigger places such as Dry Creek Vineyards have mostly people who are interested in wine. They learn a standard spiel, but it's easy to get them past that, especially if it isn't a busy Saturday afternoon.

I go to Ontario wineries fairly regularly, and was just there a couple of weeks ago. There is almost always a tasting fee in the Niagara region. The fees aren't too high (relative to, say, California), maybe $10 for 4-5 wines or 1-2 dollars each per wine. Sweet wines, including icewines, are usually 3-5 dollars per taste.

There are two basic parts of the Niagara region. The Niagara on the Lake area is more touristy (it's close to Niagara Falls), and getting an appointment might be useful for actually getting to talk with someone who actually knows something about wine. That might be a but harsh, but if you are there on a weekend, and a bus happens to drop by, the part time tasting staff aren't always very knowledgeable. Frankly, I find NZ and Australian cellar doors to provide much better experiences than in Niagara (or in BC). So organizing a tasting and letting them know you are ITB would I think lead to a better experience overall more often than not.

The area around Jordan is the other main tasting room area in Niagara, and is less touristy in general. But again, the tasting room staff can really run the gauntlet in their level of expertise. Generally, the better wineries have better staff.

Basically, in the Niagara region, I'd say if you are particularly interested in a winery, you might be better off trying to organize a tasting. You can also just pop into many other wineries.

Sue, if you want any other info or have any questions about the Niagara region or wineries I'd be happy to answer them.

[Jenise]

rrif raf riff raff. What are they
Don't want any favours. Want to see what it like to travel the world as a wine tourist and write about it as a wine tourist not a wine writer who is given 'special treatment'.

They don't need to know you're a wine writer. But you DO want to be taken for a the serious wine afficionado you are, as others have said. That way, you'll get treated like an equal--we hope--instead of getting the standard spiel given to tourists who know squat. Sometimes you/we know so much more than the tasting room person who has only memorized a script and you'll get the standard treatment anyway--but hedge your bets, definitely, no matter where in North America you're tasting wine.

[Jenise]

Oh, and re the special tasting? Had an experience on Salt Spring Island where friends arranged for such a tasting. For $10 each, we got a lecture at a picnic table, three wines, and each with a kidney bean sized bite of something they considered a perfect food match. Meanwhile, if we'd just walked into the tasting room, we'd have tasted for free and had our choice of twice as many wines. And been in and out a lot faster. IOW, sometimes the special tasting is geared toward the super novice (think: bridal shower outing), not the super experienced.

rrif raf riff raff. What are they

Folks who drive from tasting room to tasting room in wine country as a way to get drunk without having to pay for the booze.

-Paul W.

Most normal visitors aren't interested in the things we're interested in, and vice versa in many cases, so I would definitely prefer a tasting geared to the trade, even if I were a serious amateur*. At least in my meager experiences in CA, if they think you're serious they don't charge, that's just to prevent the tour busses blocking the parking lot.

I agree, standing at the bar is often better, it's faster plus if you taste a couple of wines and know you're in the wrong place you can leave more easily.

*in the sense of 'lover,' obviously. The members of this board know more than most people in the trade anyway.