5 Reasons Why Wine Enthusiasts Should Visit Winery Tasting Rooms
Friendly Atmosphere in a Wine Tasting Room
- Meet great people behind the wine tasting counter and enjoy the camaraderie of other visitors. It has been the experience of the Wine Trail Travelers that 99 percent of the time, workers and visitors at wineries and tasting rooms are very friendly. Friendliness is just as important as the hard work. Without the hospitality, the wine ceases to mean little. The social part of wine is as important as pairing food with wine.
Numerous Varietals and Wine Styles to Discover
- Taste a variety of wines. While certain wineries have a portfolio of five wines others have portfolios of 30 wines. At one time, a New York winemaker was producing 80 different wines between two wineries. It would be highly unusual that any visitor would taste all 30 wines. In such a tasting room, the attendant tries to identify the type of wine a guest prefers whether it is sweet/ dry or red/white.
- Discover and purchase wines that are not available at your local wine shops. Unfortunately for the consumer wine shops are limited to what their shelf space will hold and to what wineries the distributor deals with. This leaves the consumer out of touch with many wineries around the country except by using the Internet. This is a key argument for those in favor of direct wine shipping. In addition, some wineries only sell wine directly from their winery tasting room.
Added Incentives to Visit Winery Tasting Rooms
- The cost of visiting a winery is relatively inexpensive. Some wineries do not charge for tasting and at some there is a small fee. A few high profile wineries have exorbitant fees.
- Many wineries offer tours of the winery and vineyards. Each tour is different and offers a new experience. Take a camera and preserve memories for a lifetime.
Read more at Suite101: Five Reasons Wine Enthusiasts Should Visit Winery Tasting Rooms
If you are looking for updates on the current state of the Jesusita Fire burning in the hills of Santa Barbara, visit KEYT.com (our local news station). As of right now (around noon on Thursday) the smoke isn’t as smoldering and overpowering as yesterday afternoon, and we are just hoping that the winds stay calm.
The tasting room will remain open for regular business and normal hours, and our Wine Club Pick Up Party will still be happening on Saturday.
Unfortunately, we had to cancel our Chardonnay Passport Tasting (these tastings happen the first Wednesday of each month) night at the Wine Bistro (www.pierrelafond.com) last night due to the falling ash and state of emergency of town.
Please call the winery tasting room if you have any questions about the state of the fire in our area.
Again, we plan on being open for regular business and tastings from 10am-5pm through the weekend.
Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery
I recently came across a great book review on Wines and Wineries of California’s Central Coast, a comprehensive guide from Monterey to Santa Barbara that we have in the winery shop. I am always interested to see how different authors are able to interpret and lay out our growing region, and this is a great guide, particularly for the traveling wine taster.
The book consists of a very good 30-page introduction and a main section with winery profiles. The latter is divided into three parts, each focusing on a separate county: Monterey, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara. Each of these contains its own detailed introduction, while appendices list Central Coast sub-appellations and few grayscale maps follow.
Ausmus goes into considerable depth in the introduction, discussing the genesis of the region’s gross geology and how that affects the climate and the soils. He also argues for redefining the Central Coast AVA by dividing it into three sections: North-, Mid- and South-Central Coast — essentially following county boundaries. Besides validating the scope of the book, this attempts to clarify the region’s identity and make it more understandable to the consumer.
Click here to read more
Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery
Today is our last day of shipping before Valentine’s weekend to get your gifts to you using our standard 2 Day 9.50 rate (Priority rates apply if you order tomorrow). We are always saving that special bottle of wine for the most important days and important people in our lives (usually the two happen to come together). Wine, for good reason, is a traditionally commemorative beverage that brings people together, to the table, in front of the fire, our out to a picnic. What I am trying to say is that Valentine’s Day gives us that extra push that we sometimes need to open up nice bottles that we have been saving, and then replace them to be saved for the next occasion.
Valentine’s Day gifts that we have been selling this week include pink and red bowed woodboxes containing a bottle or two of wine, our dry style 2007 Rose of Syrah, Wine-filled chocolates, custom made gift baskets, and late harvest/dessert wines. Every one of these items can be shipped to arrive in your hands by Friday if you order by mid afternoon today (Wednesday).
Today we will also begin pouring our special Valentine’s Day tasting list for visitors to the winery. This limited time selection will be poured through Monday the 16th. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery
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