On Tuesday, April 14, 2015 at 4:25:24 AM UTC-10, sf wrote:
> 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

If you're into wine culture, you're in the right place. I guess I should have visited at least one winery back when I was living in your neck of the woods. Perhaps one of these days.