Wineries...is it rare to get free samples?

[rennigade]

I come from a small place in PA. We have a few wineries within 20 miles of each other. All of our wineries allow you to sample as much as you want for free...they'll just keep pouring.

If you visit any winery by Leesburg, VA (close to DC)...all of them charge a fee to sample their wines. Same with wineries we've been to in Maryland...all near DC. I know its the same for the few wineries ive been to in Napa Valley.

Am I just that out of touch with how most wineries are ran? I know the owner at one of the wineries in PA so I know the markup on each bottle (which is a LOT.) I asked him about free wine tasting and costs associated with it and he said they dont even notice it. Its no concern to them. And this is coming from a small winery. Im my mind I would think massive operations in napa valley would have larger margins since they can buy in bigger bulk...the least they could do is offer free tasting samples.

I try to visit wineries as little as possible...not a huge wine drinker but wife and friends sometimes like to go. Its just one of those things that rubs me the wrong way.

Does anyone else have wineries where they live that offer free tastings? Maybe its just a small town thing...smaller wineries in less populated areas will treat potential customers better.

[bjl584]

The one that is sort of close to me has free tasting. They have a retail outlet in the mall near me, and they will let you sample in the store for free as well.

[disneysteve]

I see it both ways. I'm not a wine drinker but my wife is. We visit wineries and do tastings now and then. Some charge. Some don't. The ones that charge often make more of an experience out of it. For example, one local winery that I do like does a tour and tasting. You learn all about the process, go out and see the vineyards, and then have a tasting along with a snack tray (fruit and cheese). You also get a pair of wine glasses and a half bottle. There are often Groupon or Living Social deals for these types of tastings.

[MonkeyMama]

There is a local winery that I am pretty sure had free samples last I went. (It's been a while).

Napa has some free tastings but they aren't as gimicky. & it just depends on the winery. If we've paid for a wine tasting in Napa it generally included a tour, some food, and/or incredible views. Which is more what we paid for. Since we aren't big wine drinkers, we didn't go anywhere in Napa just for the wine.

(We live close to Napa and stay there often for a weekend getaway).

[HundredK]

Wineries tend to give free tastings of their crap wine, and then charge a fee to taste the reserves (the good stuff). I don't like drinking pig swill, so we tend to pay the reserve tasting fee. Though in my new budget conscious mind, we probably just won't go to wineries because I'd rather not drink anything at all than drink pig swill.

[pflyers85]

Most of the wineries here in Eastern PA (Lehigh Valley) charge a tasting fee of about $5 and you get to sample like 4 or 5 wines but if you buy a bottle they will put your tasting fee towards the purchase. However, I've been to a couple wineries where I wasn't crazy about the wine to even purchase a bottle.

[safari]

My wife and I usually share one tasting, so that way we can visit more wineries during the day without getting drunk. The tasting fee usually ranges anywhere from $5 to $15 and in most cases they wave it with a minimum purchase. We always end up buying a few cases of wine on every trip, so we rarely pay the tasting fees anyway. We've been wine tasting in Napa, Sonoma, Paso Robles and Santa Barbara, and I've only seen a few places that offer free tastings.

[disneysteve]

I just checked Groupon and there are currently 8 offers on wine tastings in the Philly area. Prices range from $15 to $29. They are all packages for 2 people. What I don't know is if any of those wineries also have a free or less costly option for wine only (without the snacks and souvenir glasses and stuff).

[Drake3287]

I live here in the Napa/Sonoma area and most of the wineries still offer free "basic" samples plus they offer different tasting packages for an added fee. I was at the Korbel Champagne Winery recently and they still offer a nice free tour along with several samples of most of there different champagnes.

I'm off to Italy later today and plan to visit a few wineries in Tuscany. Not only do they charge a small fee but you need reservations for a tour/tasting.

[msomnipotent]

Most the tastings that I have been to that charged a fee usually offered much more than a free tasting. Better wine, better snacks, and a "free" souvenir wine glass. The exception is the wineries near me charging a fee because of too many people that spend the entire day getting free samples, get hammered, and then cause a scene and get kicked out. I actually know a couple that complained about how rude wineries are when they got banned. Who do they think they are, banning people that have no intention of buying any wine and then trashing the place??