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