On Tue, 14 Apr 2015 08:17:23 -0400, Ed Pawlowski > wrote:

> On Mon, 13 Apr 2015 19:04:00 -1000, dsi1
> > wrote:
>
> >On 4/13/2015 5:19 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> >> On Mon, 13 Apr 2015 12:34:02 -1000, dsi1
> >> > wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >>>
> >>> Charging for samples is a mickey mouse way of doing business. It implies
> >>> that your customers are scumbags and are not to be trusted.
> >>>
> >>
> >> The reason most charge now is many on the tasters are not customers,
> >> just scumbags looking for a freebie.
> >>
> >> Most places had some sort of a deal that when you buy, you get a
> >> discount, rebate, or other compensation against what you paid. One
> >> winery in particular that I've been to a couple of times charges a
> >> modest fee for five different tastings. I've seen many people do the
> >> tasting and walk out not spending a penny otherwise.
> >>
> >> There is one vineyard I frequent that has a "Cellar Club" you can sign
> >> up for once you buy something. You get tasting for two people on every
> >> visit and you get a 15% discount every time you buy a case

All of them do that. Wine clubs are fine if you want them to send you
wines you haven't tasted before. I used to belong to quite a few and
was extremely disappointed with the entire experience. When you get
two bottles, one is just an so-so wine and the other is out of your
normal price range, but I was never impressed enough by anything they
sent me that I called and ordered a case of it. In fact the only time
I buy wine by the case is when I'm actually at the winery. Then it's
usually a mixed case, not just one wine.

> >>
> >All things being equal, I'm partial to businesses that don't consider me
> >to be a scumbag. Is this the wrong attitude?
>
> No, they don't consider the customers to be scumbags, they consider
> the many freeloaders to be. They are not now and never will be a
> customer. Again, how often do you go to vineyards for tastings? How
> often have you observed what goes on? Easy to sit back on your throne
> and say what a business should do if you've never experienced it.
> Don't let real life get in the way of your perception.

People used to hire limos and go winery hopping without buying a
thing. It was a cheap way to bar hop. Wineries are very liberal with
their tastings anyway. I've done "wine weekends" where we stay in a
B&B or boutique hotel in wine country and go wine tasting in the area.
I haven't ever paid a dime in fees because I am serious about buying
at least one bottle from every establishment. I tell them I don't
want much in the glass and spit out what I taste, so they know I'm not
kidding. Oddly (IMO) enough, it has been harder to find something I
liked at the wineries I'd heard of (not crap wine like Beringer, I'm
talking about wineries like Navarro and Scharffenberger) than those I
hadn't.

You know what I discovered along the way? I usually make a list of
the places I want to visit and part of the chat with counter people is
where you've been and where you're off to next. I discovered that I
can ask for opinions and get good ones. I talking about Esterlina
with a Scharffenberger employee and asked which wine he'd recommend I
try there. He already knew my tastes because I'd done both wine
flights (with running commentary) and he was right on target with his
recommendation. That's one time I took home a full case.

--

sf