There is truly no better gig than working in a tasting room. It if were possible for me to afford the bloated Bay Area cost of living on those few ducats per hour – I’d make pouring wine a full-time profession. For the most part, everyone person you see or talk to is happy – either on vacation or taking a day of hedonistic pleasure. Your job? To enhance that pleasure and make sure every guest has a great experience at your winery.

But, it’s safe to say that we’ve all had less than wonderful experiences during our wine tasting exploits. Even though we are enjoying our own vacation or just a day of decadence, the experience in the tasting room can affect our experience with the wine.

Most recently, my wife went to one of our favorite wineries and found the usually casually-dressed tasting room staff decked out in matching branded golf shirts. She said it completely changed her feeling for the wines and winery. I understand this completely:

  • If the host(s) aren’t friendly, I’m less likely to enjoy the wines.
  • If the tasting room feels like a factory, or “corporate,” I’m less likely to enjoy the wines.
  • If the host(s) try WAY too hard to be the “snobby-wine-guy” (when it’s apparent they shouldn’t be), chances are I’ll hate the wines.
  • And the list goes on.

The inverse is true, of course. Great experiences in the tasting room can make even the most mediocre wines taste like liquid candy.

My wife and I visited a winery that is more famous for its effective marketing and merchandising than it is for creating good wines. But, we had so much fun in the tasting room – not only with the staff, but also with the other guests, that we signed up for two different wine clubs. As soon as we got our first shipment, we realized we had made a big mistake and quit the clubs, of course, but the power of the experience was well noted.

I don’t think the “experience enhancing taste” theorem begins and ends in the tasting room, either.

A great experience at a restaurant with good friends, lively conversation, flavorful food and excellent service can all contribute to the ultimate enjoyment of a wine. They can all make wine taste better than you might think in the quiet comfort of your own home.

And again, the opposite is true. Horrible service and overcooked steak will hurt your feelings about even your favorite wines. They simply won’t taste as good as you remember if they accompany a bad experience. (That being said – there are those truly special wines that can make even the worst experiences funny and – no pun intended – palatable.)

I remember the wines we were drinking during great “life” experiences like sunsets, outdoor concerts, barbeques with friends, or just kicking around at home with the family. (Arista Longbow as the kid took his first steps. Yes, the wine was SO good, the kid got up and tried to walk to it.)

The point is that there are so many factors that contribute to our personal love of wine, generally and specifically. As previously written, things like the label, cost and even Web site can all play into our reasons for buying a wine (particularly one we’ve never had before), but enjoying the wine isn’t only about the grapes – you might also be drinking in the experience.