As I’m sure you all recall, last time I spoke a bit about how “tasting room culture” has become an intrinsic part of the Northwest wine industry. Yet one question remained largely unanswered: what exactly is tasting room etiquette, and how is it most frequently abused?
In reaching out to a number of winery employees, common themes emerged: mostly centered around awareness, courtesy and sobriety, or the lack thereof. So, with their input and my own experience, here are a few basic guidelines to try and observe when venturing forth to tasting rooms throughout the region.
- Be aware of your surroundings. I heard countless stories of bottles spilled, displays knocked over, and other guests hit by errant bags, purses and baby carriers. It is of course easy to get carried away when in the presence of great wine, but let’s try to keep the flailing to a minimum.
- Don’t block the bar. I’ll let Josh St. Aubin, tasting room manager for Mark Ryan Winery, explain: “The most common one I see is people blocking the tasting bar so other guests can’t get up to get their next tasting. Luckily we can get out from behind the bar and pour for them out on the floor, but people like to stake their real estate at the bar and park it.” Getting between people and their wine is never cool.
- Take your time, kinda. I’m not saying you should linger for hours over a few sips of wine, but it’s a bit disrespectful to slam each pour back almost before it’s even hit your glass. I get it, you’re there to drink wine, but taking at least a few moments to sniff, sip and savor will not only give you a better experience, but it’ll also help you figure out which wines you actually like
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Visiting a tasting room isn’t just about drinking in a different location, it’s an opportunity to learn. In smaller tasting rooms, the person pouring for you might very well be the winemaker or one of their assistants, and you can get a fascinating insight into the challenges and choices they’ve faced along the way. Even in larger wineries, most staff is well-versed in the details of each wine they pour.
- Drunkenness is not a healthy goal. Yes, if you hit a few tasting rooms and decline to use the spit bucket, you’ll probably develop a healthy buzz after a bit. If you’re not driving, that’s not the worst fate in the world either. Yet you might make some purchasing decisions you’ll regret down the road, so maintaining at least a vestige of sobriety is probably wise.
- Speaking of the spit bucket, don’t be afraid of it. Yeah, you paid for the wine, but it’s okay to not swallow it all. Whether you don’t like a given offering, or just want to avoid problems later on, they’re not just there so Paul Giamatti can make a scene.
That’s far from a comprehensive list, but hopefully it’s at least a start. Of course the most important rule is to have a good time, but if you can do so without ruining someone else’s outing, all the better.
