The location of the winery and its tasting room is the first impression you get as you begin each tasting experience anew. It begins to set your mood, your notions, and to some extent, your pleasure with the wine you’ve yet to taste. There’s no real logic about it, just an emotional response...one of many to come. Score Primer
(1-5) The outside of the building is nondescript; it might reside in a warehouse district where it might be confused with a local body shop. The tasting room itself might be inside a barrel room (as a matter of course, not just during barrel tasting where it’s very prevalent and, by the way, apropos). The climate is unsuitable for little more than a brief tour. The whole environment might lack complete charm. Did I mention that parking is usually limited? It’s almost as if they don’t care if you’ve come to taste their wines.
(6-7) The outside of the building looks much like the building in which they might be processing the wine today. The tasting room might look like it was an afterthought in their business plan. Inside the tasting room, there’s barely enough room for a handful of people, the decorations are simple, and the only charm is what you’ve clipped to the stem of your glass.
8 The building will look like it’s part of the winery, but the tasting room will present itself with its own unique charm. Regardless of the wine, you’ll remember this quaint little tasting room for one or more cute little features. These tend to be more spacious rooms, handling at least ten people, and leaving you with the feeling that squeezing in a couple more would make for a fun time! This room begins to say, “Welcome! We have a lot to talk about! Have a glass!”.
9 Now we’re talking about a good time! The grounds are beautiful and you start to get a sense of being invited, not to a wine tasting, but to a really good time! You might see streams of people heading in and out of the tasting room or even other parts of the winery (like a tour of their cave). This is a place that compels you to take a picture, or even say to someone, “This would be a great place for [insert name] to get married!” The tasting room is replete with charm, space, merchandise, and a long bar!
10 This is your “Oh, wow!” winery. The location is usually adjacent to (or in the middle of) fields of grape vines, tucked back away from the road. The grounds are well-kept with all sorts of floral arrangements (or perhaps even a garden). When you walk into the tasting room, you are immediately struck by the spaciousness, the craftsmanship, and the elegance. There will invariably be a patio, inviting you to have a picnic, a glass, or just a relaxing respite with friends.
