| Want to know how to maximize your wine | | | | coverings, pendant lighting, couches, leather |
| tasting experiences? Of course, you can read | | | | chairs, flat screen monitors, eclectic gift |
| blogs about wine, but I'd rather go to the | | | | items and lots of cool vibes abound. They may |
| tasting room and enjoy my wine right at the | | | | have private dining rooms and special VIP |
| winery. This article is where I'm offering | | | | tasting rooms. Great customer service usually |
| assistance on How to Enjoy Better Wine | | | | prevails along with good facilities for |
| Tasting through the Winery Advisor Tasting | | | | hanging out. They may have a bocce ball |
| Room Personality Profile. As the Winery | | | | court, fireplace or lavish gardens. Some may |
| Advisor, I visit hundreds of California | | | | have a private chef making gourmet treats |
| tasting rooms each year collecting | | | | from their pizza oven or hold evening wine |
| information to prepare detailed winery | | | | tasting seminars and VIP events. For these |
| profiles for the California Winery website ( | | | | wineries, bring friends you want to impress |
| We document the wine tasting experience by | | | | and keep the kids at home. Check out Tolosa |
| cataloging the amenities, ambiances, tasting | | | | Winery in San Luis Obispo, Melville Vineyards |
| fees, pricing and wines. And, yes, we like | | | | in Santa Barbara County, or Stryker Sonoma |
| our job. With over 2000 wineries in the | | | | Winery near Geyserville. 4. The Destination |
| state, competition for the winery visitor is | | | | Winery entertains its visitors and promotes |
| keen. Establishments now frequently outfit | | | | its brand with summer music series, |
| their tasting salons with five-star styling | | | | festivals, grand parties and regular weekend |
| and lavish amenities. Even smaller operations | | | | events. Come for the Show, Stay for the wine! |
| may offer horse-drawn vineyard tours, custom | | | | They often have restaurants, park like |
| bottle blending programs and high quality | | | | settings, sculpture gardens, impressive art |
| events and hospitality. I have to admit I | | | | galleries, guest houses, children's |
| like tasting wine in tasting rooms. It's | | | | playgrounds, tram rides, shopping, and yes, |
| largely about the wine of course, but the | | | | even wine. Rodney Strong Vineyards in Sonoma, |
| people, the setting, the stuff to do, perhaps | | | | Castoro Cellars in Paso Robles and Thorton |
| the vibe in the room and being out in the | | | | Winery in Temecula have outdoor summer Jazz |
| countryside also play their part. The tasting | | | | concerts. Wente Brothers in Livermore |
| room staffs are generally delighted to see | | | | provides visitors a first class restaurant, |
| me, ready to answer my questions even though | | | | wine caves, music and even a round of golf. |
| they have been answering them all day, and | | | | Some of the latest entrants to this group use |
| for five dollars will pour me wine in a glass | | | | their winery as their sole marketing tool, |
| that I sometimes get to keep. On top of it | | | | selling wine only at the winery and online. |
| they usually invite me to join their special | | | | Examples include Roblar Winery in Santa Ynez, |
| club or join them for a dinner (with a | | | | Black Stallion in Napa and Villa Toscano in |
| hundred other like friends). How can I not | | | | the Sierra foothills. 5. The Something |
| like this? For those who don't have the good | | | | Special Winery offers a unique twist to its |
| fortune to visit all the tasting rooms, I | | | | wines, winery or tasting room. Sonoma's Ridge |
| submit The Advisor Tasting Room Personality | | | | Lytton Springs Winery and San Luis Obispo's |
| Profile. It might even offer a virtual | | | | Claiborne & Churchill Winery uses rice-straw |
| tasting room opportunity for you. After | | | | bales, earthen plaster and recycled lumber |
| visiting almost 600, I have found they fall | | | | for their facilities. Frog's Leap uses solar |
| roughly within five categories. Each has its | | | | and geothermal power and their tasting room |
| special advantages. 1. Family Run Wineries. | | | | is made from reclaimed lumber and low-toxin |
| The winemaker and family do 90% of the work, | | | | paint. Bonny Doon Vineyard, Benzinger Family |
| from growing grapes, making wine, selling, | | | | Winery and Quivira Vineyard & Winery grow |
| marketing, writing the newsletter and pouring | | | | their grapes use Biodynamic farming |
| in the tasting room. They stock shelves, wash | | | | practices. Clautiere Vineyard near Paso |
| glasses, lead tours and generally look a bit | | | | Robles has one of the most outrageous tasting |
| tired at the end of the day (and often well | | | | rooms described as an artistic cross of |
| before). These wine stops have the advantage | | | | "Edward Scissorhands meets the Mad Hatter at |
| of letting you talk directly to the players | | | | the Moulin Rouge." Other wineries specialize |
| who have created the stuff we so desire. | | | | by producing just one wine. For instance, |
| Tasting rooms are generally smaller, with | | | | Silver Oak Cellars makes great Cabernet |
| fewer crowds and less pressure to join their | | | | Sauvignon, while Cardinale Winery in Napa |
| club. They are good for individuals, couples | | | | excels with their Cabernet based blend. And |
| and small groups. It is best to call for an | | | | for the latest trends in tasting rooms? A |
| appointment if your group is over six people. | | | | Wine Bar can offer a tasting experience that |
| At Milat Vineyards in Napa Valley the owners | | | | an individual winery cannot: tasting multiple |
| are two brothers, Bob and Mike. Their wives, | | | | wineries from one wine tasting. Wine bars are |
| Carolyn and Joyce, do the back room work and | | | | growing in popularity, opening across the |
| manage the tasting room, switching off every | | | | wine country regions and even in non-wine |
| other week. At nearby Corison Winery, Cathy | | | | country locales. What I enjoy about a wine |
| Corison makes the wine, while hubby William | | | | bar is trying more wines more quickly. |
| Martin, who designed the winery, keeps all | | | | Perhaps this is the equivalent of "10 minute |
| the equipment humming, does the books and | | | | dating" mixers for the wine connoisseur, |
| keeps the computers online. Husch Vineyards | | | | which to some might be defeating the purpose. |
| in Anderson Valley has been in the business | | | | But, to the wine enthusiast with a hip and |
| for years with second and third generations | | | | fast-paced urban lifestyle, wine bars can be |
| still working the harvests and pouring in the | | | | an interest addition to the wine tasting |
| tasting room. 2. The Big Personality winery | | | | experience. The Virtual Wine Tasting Room is |
| is dominated by an owner whose name is | | | | something that only a dot-com internet junkie |
| frequently on the label but has a hired hand | | | | could come up with. But, for those wineries |
| making the wine. The big personality is the | | | | putting most of their wine tasting room |
| big draw. They are generally self-made men | | | | experience into selling on the web, this idea |
| and women who are leaders in the industry. | | | | might become more popular. One website, ( is |
| They are often great company and provide a | | | | putting an emphasis on how wine can be |
| great tasting room experience. Wine clubs at | | | | enjoyed and the HUMOR and FUN of the wine |
| these wineries frequently have waiting lists | | | | tasting experience. I enjoyed watching some |
| or tiered club benefits where you wait months | | | | of their tastings online, although I'm still |
| or years to move up to get the prized wines. | | | | not quite certain I could actually TASTE the |
| Amenities usually include good picnic areas | | | | wine myself! To narrow down your search for |
| interesting gift shops, VIP tasting programs | | | | the right tasting room experience, check out |
| and unique tours and events. These wineries | | | | the advanced winery search feature at |
| can usually handle larger groups, but it is | | | | Cheers! |
| always best to call ahead. The Paso Robles | | | | |
| region's Big Personalities include, Gary | | | | California Winery Advisor visits hundreds of |
| Eberle of Eberle Winery, Tobin James of Tobin | | | | wineries each year, then offers profiles on |
| James Cellars and Justin Baldwin of Justin | | | | wine tasting and better wine tasting |
| Winery. 3. The Hip & Stylish wineries are set | | | | experiences. Visit to build your own |
| up like trendy restaurants or private | | | | customized wine tasting tour and learn more |
| nightclubs. Italian tile, exotic wall | | | | about California's exciting wineries. |