Price Hikes Turn Off Wine Country Visitors
- Thread starter ibglowin
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$40 for a tasting?? buh-bye!!!
We visit Paso Robles 2X a year for club pickups and to try a new winery or two each visit. I would say the average tasting fee in Paso is now ~$30 with your top end wineries at $40 and your lower end wineries at $20. Tasting fees are usually waved with 1-2 bottle purchase. One thing I have noticed this Fall for the first time is that some wineries on Tock (everyone uses Tock these days to make tasting reservations) are now requiring the tasting fee paid upfront. This is supposedly to prevent ghosting which was happening quite frequently. Seems like all wineries are sticking with the reservation system even post pandemic and not allowing walk-ins. It makes for a much more enjoyable/intimate tasting experience instead of the old model of bellying up to the bar and in some instances pushing in to the bar and trying to get the servers attention.......
I hate those guys who think it’s just a fancy tavern
. That said, some of the wineries up here also cater to those folks. I guess you do what you need to keep the doors open.
Ah yes, I remember the early 90's - go to Napa sober, leave toasty and never dropped a penny. 
So it’s your faultAh yes, I remember the early 90's - go to Napa sober, leave toasty and never dropped a penny.
My wife and I have been talking about a west coast wine tour… maybe Washington.
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FlamingoEmporium
Senior Member
Buy a couple of bottles and sit in the parking lot selling tasting for $10.00
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You'll find much better tasting fees in WA any day of the week. Usually in the $20-$25 range. The nice thing is that you can choose to taste in Woodinville which is in the Seattle area or head over to where the grapes are grown in Eastern WA. You'll do more driving for sure but It's also less crowded and a lot more laid back experience compared to the hustle and bustle (and traffic) of Seattle these days.
Tasting fees in the NY Finger Lakes is $8-10 USD
Lighter in the wallet (than say Napa) of course.
I have never tasted the fees in WA. How do they taste?
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That would be in line since the ave cost of a bottle of wine from that region is ~$15.
Of the wineries we visited, the average price was closer to $20. Based upon the oz served, the cost of the tasting bottles was around $35. It's a good deal for the wineries
I live in Santa Clara County, CA and the tastings are about 10 to 20 dollars and almost all wave the fee with some purchase. If you are a wine club member tastings for you and one to three others are free. There are some pretty good wines and small backyard wineries. Some real stinkers too! We have more than 50 wineries in the south valley and the quality and atmosphere is getting better all the time. All that said, it is tough to beat the quality of some of the Napa Valley wines.
If you make it as far west as Aberdeen do drop into the Westport winery. You won't be disappointed.
I typically purchase wines under $15, and get very good wines as I research ratings and shop selectively. I purchased a few bottles during my July tour of Finger Lakes wineries, but honestly, for most wines the price vs quality ratio wasn't good enough for me to buy. I don't buy a lot of CA wine as I can get better wines for less than half the price.
This assumes that one is willing to drink a variety of wines and is less picky about exact sources. I like variety, so having a kaleidoscope of commercial bottles in my rack is a good thing. I have an acquaintance on the other end of the spectrum -- he finds a wine he likes (typically Cabernet Sauvignon), purchases 3 cases, drinks it until its gone, then buys more or finds a different wine to focus on. We each do what works for us.
