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Tasting Room Romance - 7/12/2023 8:55:50 AM

ChrisinCowiche

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Have you ever fallen in love with a wine at a tasting room, then when you open it at home it is ugly?

I have done this many times particularly early in my wine journey when I was sometimes visiting 10+ tasting rooms in a day. Sometimes these were known "pity buys" for wineries that obviously had no idea how to make wine, sometimes to cover tasting fee so wine was "free", sometimes I really liked the wine while surrounded by the tasting room vibe, then when opened at home it was a WTF moment...

I think I am better and even gun shy about tasting room buying now, but experienced a bit of trepidation yesterday when opening a wine from our weekend trip to Lake Chelan. 2022 Succession Viognier... Actually still quite good, if not great. Again noticed it got better at closer to room temp. I put that in my tasting note to try to remember since I got 4 bottles, 3 left.

Any others have this experience?

< Message edited by ChrisinCowiche -- 7/12/2023 8:57:23 AM >

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RE: Tasting Room Romance - 7/12/2023 9:29:37 AM

BobMilton

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Several, if not many, times. Wine is often better in the tasting room than at home. Have gotten better at not being swept off my feet (or my wife's) when tasting so doesn't happen as often but still occasionally does.

Has made me wonder about the revers - how many wines that I didn't care for in the tasting room would be really good if I took them home? No way to know.

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RE: Tasting Room Romance - 7/12/2023 10:04:21 AM

Jenise

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Anyone who's been to a tasting room has had this experience, even once we learn to be more vigiliant about limiting our sips and dumping. Even spitting isn't fool proof, but I'm a girl and I hate the look of spitting so do that poorly.

Anymore, when we go wine tasting with friends we limit visits to 3 a day. A typical day might be one or two before lunch then one after lunch for a total of three a day--four absolute max. Less danger of being "swept off our feet" as Bob put it. Chelan might have been the last place I went where I walked into wineries blind with no idea which might be more to my liking than others.

I recall a trip to Paso Robles about 15-17 years ago. First time there. Initially hated most of the wine I tasted--those were the days of monster zins and most wines were over 15% alcohol. Expected to bring back 2 or 3 cases but only brought home 9 bottles. These were the only nine wines that didn't offend me with high alcohol, flabby ripeness and residual sugar. You could say they 'passed'. Well, after 2 or 3 months home (and back to the wines I usually drink) I started opening some of those nine bottles. Turned out not one 'passed', they were only the least bad in a place where everything was over the top for my more European palate. I have passed on Paso ever since.

< Message edited by Jenise -- 7/12/2023 12:54:44 PM >

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RE: Tasting Room Romance - 7/12/2023 10:33:05 AM

DoubleD1969

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The pourers in Napa can be hotties.

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RE: Tasting Room Romance - 7/12/2023 10:53:35 AM

Wine Grove

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Jenise

Anyone who's been to a tasting room has had this experience, even once we learn to be more vigiliant about limiting our sips and dumping. Even spitting isn't fool proof, but I'm a girl and I hate the look of spitting so do that poorly.

Anymore, when we go wine tasting with friends we limit visits to 3 a day. A typical day might be one or two before lunch then one after lunch for a total of three a day--four absolute max. Less danger of being "swept off our feet" as Bob put it. Chelan might have been the last place I went where I walked into wineries blind with no idea which might be more to my liking than others.

I recall a trip to Paso Robles about 15-17 years ago. First time there. Initially hated most of the wine I tasted--those were the days of monster zins and most wines were over 15% alcohol. Expected to bring back 2 or 3 cases but only brought home 9 bottles. These were the only nine wines that didn't offend me with high alcohol, flabby ripeness and residual sugar. You could say they 'passed'. Well, after 2 or 3 months home (and back to the wines I usually drink) I started opening some of those nine bottles. Turned out not one 'passed', they were only the least bad in a place where everything was over the top for my more European palate. I have passed on Paso ever since.

Honestly I've never liked Paso wines - too burning hot and often cloying. To the contrary, just a few miles to the south from Edna Valley down into Santa ynez valley/sta rita hills , there are plethora of good lighter bodied wines.

Only a few producers make a big Syrah or decadent grenache that I still enjoy when wanting a bigger wine, but they too are usually Edna area.

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RE: Tasting Room Romance - 7/12/2023 11:33:00 AM

ChrisinCowiche

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@Bob, for sure some tasting room rejects are likely to blossom later or with more bottle time. Many wineries release too soon $$$, or don't properly decant when pouring tastings.

@Jenise, yeah we have set a 3, maybe 4 limit, with food and water and plenty of time involved. Much more pleasurable once we relaxed the pace. Pour buckets almost always have to be requested, but we will usually share a tasting, and even then dumping bad stuff saves taste buds and sobriety. On Paso, we have been a couple of time with finding some we like, but yeah they are BIG wines. Herman Story is a fave of ours and they are unabashedly way over the top.

@DD. yeah, there's that too. :)

< Message edited by ChrisinCowiche -- 7/12/2023 11:34:05 AM >

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RE: Tasting Room Romance - 7/12/2023 11:33:21 AM

ChrisinCowiche

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damit dupe

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RE: Tasting Room Romance - 7/12/2023 11:57:43 AM

wine247365

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Wine Grove

quote:

ORIGINAL: Jenise

Anyone who's been to a tasting room has had this experience, even once we learn to be more vigiliant about limiting our sips and dumping. Even spitting isn't fool proof, but I'm a girl and I hate the look of spitting so do that poorly.

Anymore, when we go wine tasting with friends we limit visits to 3 a day. A typical day might be one or two before lunch then one after lunch for a total of three a day--four absolute max. Less danger of being "swept off our feet" as Bob put it. Chelan might have been the last place I went where I walked into wineries blind with no idea which might be more to my liking than others.

I recall a trip to Paso Robles about 15-17 years ago. First time there. Initially hated most of the wine I tasted--those were the days of monster zins and most wines were over 15% alcohol. Expected to bring back 2 or 3 cases but only brought home 9 bottles. These were the only nine wines that didn't offend me with high alcohol, flabby ripeness and residual sugar. You could say they 'passed'. Well, after 2 or 3 months home (and back to the wines I usually drink) I started opening some of those nine bottles. Turned out not one 'passed', they were only the least bad in a place where everything was over the top for my more European palate. I have passed on Paso ever since.

Honestly I've never liked Paso wines - too burning hot and often cloying. To the contrary, just a few miles to the south from Edna Valley down into Santa ynez valley/sta rita hills , there are plethora of good lighter bodied wines.

Only a few producers make a big Syrah or decadent grenache that I still enjoy when wanting a bigger wine, but they too are usually Edna area.

Don't give up on PR wines though. Try Tablas Creek, RN Estate, Clos Solene, or L'Aventure if you want to avoid the stereotypical PR GSM wine cocktails. Those definitely make a more restrained wine. However, the big, blowsy, PR GSMs are excellent compliments to grilled meats during this time of year. And you can't beat Turley Old Vine or Juvenile Zins for burgers or ribs with their killer QPRs.

Back to the OP, I have had the same experiences and in the tasting rooms and have grown to exercise more discipline over the years. Also, grown to limit tastings per day to 2 and occasionally 3.

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RE: Tasting Room Romance - 7/12/2023 2:55:00 PM

KPB

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Chris, it has happened to me too. Tasting rooms can be so luxurious that they create a weird kind of force field. Plus as noted, the hosts often seem to be recently retired top models (or they may be famous winemakers, and you sometimes get kind of star-struck). And beyond that, you might taste a dozen wines and my palate, at least, gets kind of distorted from that even if I’m spitting. No idea how professional tasters manage to avoid this effect….

Worst for me were times when I’ve ended up tasting dozens of wines during a tasting dinner, or even over many hours during a wine buying/visiting expedition.

Anyhow, the upshot is that I’ve returned home with plenty of regrettable bottles!

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RE: Tasting Room Romance - 7/12/2023 4:39:49 PM

jmcmchi

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quote:

ORIGINAL: ChrisinCowiche

@Bob, for sure some tasting room rejects are likely to blossom later or with more bottle time. Many wineries release too soon $$$, or don't properly decant when pouring tastings.

@Jenise, yeah we have set a 3, maybe 4 limit, with food and water and plenty of time involved. Much more pleasurable once we relaxed the pace. Pour buckets almost always have to be requested, but we will usually share a tasting, and even then dumping bad stuff saves taste buds and sobriety.

Yes, and with $25 fees starting to sprout many places, $150 a day for two of us, before actually buying any wine, becomes a practical limit

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RE: Tasting Room Romance - 7/12/2023 5:11:00 PM

Jenise

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quote:

ORIGINAL: wine247365
Don't give up on PR wines though. Try Tablas Creek, RN Estate, Clos Solene, or L'Aventure if you want to avoid the stereotypical PR GSM wine cocktails. Those definitely make a more restrained wine.

Tablas and L'Aventure were in the 9 bottle selection I brought home. Pipestone, who I believe have closed shop, wer also in the mix. Which makes my point--they're more restrained than most of Paso, but not compared to the rest of the west coast. I do believe things have changed a little in my direction since, though. Have had some excellent whites from Tablas recently.

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RE: Tasting Room Romance - 7/12/2023 5:51:55 PM

Geerath

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i am also guilty of this. About 15 years ago, at one of my early wine tastings with my partner at the time, i ended up with about 12 cases of cheap Cava

after the bubbles went to my head and i got carried away with the credit card. It was such a good idea at the time... not so much as i went on to drink them over the following years. Christmas present shopping became a breeze though

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RE: Tasting Room Romance - 7/12/2023 9:04:49 PM

skifree

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There is an opposite to this - when I visited the Loire and went to Baudry, he was pouring the 2015 wines, which were fantastic.

Do they ship? No. Anyone in the area who ships to the States? No. Room in our luggage? No. Our fellow tasters, two couples from Belgium on a road vacation, took several cases of course.

I left empty-handed, and though I found a few when I got home they were definitely pricier. The folks from Belgium definitely thought it was weird that we did not buy anything.

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RE: Tasting Room Romance - 7/13/2023 2:39:45 AM

Echinosum

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There's an old British wine trade saying, Buy on apple, sell on cheese.

The meaning is that wine sellers can and will present wines to you in a way that shows them in the best light, but the buyer needs to be sceptical and careful.

The origin, as you can read in that linked article, is that much wine tastes better with cheese, and so sellers might give you cheese to eat with your tasting samples. Whereas apple is a good palate cleanser, and you can taste more objectively after eating a slice of apple.

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RE: Tasting Room Romance - 7/13/2023 5:19:59 AM

eyewino

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I have also made purchases at a winery that resulted in later disappointment as the bottles opened at home weren't nearly as good as I remembered. But I think it's just another example of wine being "experiential." The experience we have while tasting/drinking a wine strongly influences our perception of the wine itself. If I am having a great time, I will tend to think a wine is better than I would if I were bummed or mad about something. When we visit tasting rooms or tour wineries, we are likely to be in a pretty good mood - hey, we're on vacation and I'm doing something I love! When I open the same bottle at home, I may not be in the same euphoric mood, hence the wine being disappointing.

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RE: Tasting Room Romance - 7/13/2023 7:29:23 AM

Blue Shorts

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quote:

There's an old British wine trade saying, Buy on apple, sell on cheese.

I heard a different version, but essentially the same meaning......buy on bread, sell on cheese. Cheese can make almost any wine taste good, which is why I NEVER have cheesed or anything besides bread when doing serious tasting. dI also don't go to more than one or two wineries on any day since all wines taste good once one is inebriated.

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RE: Tasting Room Romance - 7/13/2023 9:01:34 AM

BobMilton

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quote:

ORIGINAL: eyewino

I have also made purchases at a winery that resulted in later disappointment as the bottles opened at home weren't nearly as good as I remembered. But I think it's just another example of wine being "experiential." The experience we have while tasting/drinking a wine strongly influences our perception of the wine itself. If I am having a great time, I will tend to think a wine is better than I would if I were bummed or mad about something. When we visit tasting rooms or tour wineries, we are likely to be in a pretty good mood - hey, we're on vacation and I'm doing something I love! When I open the same bottle at home, I may not be in the same euphoric mood, hence the wine being disappointing.

I think you have it just right.

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RE: Tasting Room Romance - 7/13/2023 9:49:24 AM

recotte

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quote:

ORIGINAL: BobMilton

quote:

ORIGINAL: eyewino

I have also made purchases at a winery that resulted in later disappointment as the bottles opened at home weren't nearly as good as I remembered. But I think it's just another example of wine being "experiential." The experience we have while tasting/drinking a wine strongly influences our perception of the wine itself. If I am having a great time, I will tend to think a wine is better than I would if I were bummed or mad about something. When we visit tasting rooms or tour wineries, we are likely to be in a pretty good mood - hey, we're on vacation and I'm doing something I love! When I open the same bottle at home, I may not be in the same euphoric mood, hence the wine being disappointing.

I think you have it just right.

This is absolutely my experience, as well!

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RE: Tasting Room Romance - 7/13/2023 11:11:27 AM

Jenise

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Geerath

i am also guilty of this. About 15 years ago, at one of my early wine tastings with my partner at the time, i ended up with about 12 cases of cheap Cava after the bubbles went to my head and i got carried away with the credit card. It was such a good idea at the time... not so much as i went on to drink them over the following years. Christmas present shopping became a breeze though

You have reminded me of a weekend in Spokane, Washington, circa the year Obama got elected. We had wine at election-related events and then went to dinner where the over-achiever pretty blonde hostess brought a bottle of Aussie Sauvignon Blanc to our table, telling us that it was regularly something like $20 but she was selling cases out the backdoor, wink wink, for $6/bottle. We tasted it--it was past it's due date with petrol notes where fruit should have been. But I didn't say that, I just politely declined. My husband, however, though not a man who usually looks at other women, was enchanted and just drunk enough to have zero discernment. Then I went to the bathroom.

When I got back he'd already bought a case. Which he had to haul three blocks back to our hotel while inebriated, stumbling the whole way. I made fun of every step!

It was, of course, dreck. First and last time he ever bought wine without my supervision.

< Message edited by Jenise -- 7/14/2023 2:54:16 PM >

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RE: Tasting Room Romance - 7/13/2023 12:36:34 PM

DoubleD1969

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That’s hilarious Jenise.

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RE: Tasting Room Romance - 7/13/2023 1:07:18 PM

fingers

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quote:

ORIGINAL: DoubleD1969

That’s hilarious Jenise.

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RE: Tasting Room Romance - 7/13/2023 3:02:41 PM

jmcmchi

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quote:

ORIGINAL: skifree

There is an opposite to this - when I visited the Loire and went to Baudry, he was pouring the 2015 wines, which were fantastic.

Do they ship? No. Anyone in the area who ships to the States? No. Room in our luggage? No. Our fellow tasters, two couples from Belgium on a road vacation, took several cases of course.

I left empty-handed, and though I found a few when I got home they were definitely pricier. The folks from Belgium definitely thought it was weird that we did not buy anything.

All true for me as well....except I did bring a couple

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RE: Tasting Room Romance - 7/13/2023 3:03:05 PM

jmcmchi

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quote:

ORIGINAL: fingers

quote:

ORIGINAL: DoubleD1969

That’s hilarious Jenise.

+1

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RE: Tasting Room Romance - 7/14/2023 12:49:40 PM

ChrisinCowiche

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Ha Jenise!

Barb and I have a code word when one or the other of us wants to pay the fee and walk away... Hip Chick! There was/is a winery in Portland, OR named Hip Chicks Do Wine, where I signed us up for the full meal deal, a tasting, food, etc... When we arrived, Barbilocks was not hungry and balked at paying the fee, she wouldn't even let me taste the wine for a reduced fee. She Hip Chicked me! That was at least 13-14 years ago, and we, still to this day, "Hip Chick" joints, whether wine, restaurant, whatever. If anyone is ever dining or tasting with us we share the code word and it's meaning to avoid confusion.

< Message edited by ChrisinCowiche -- 7/14/2023 12:51:19 PM >

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RE: Tasting Room Romance - 7/14/2023 2:26:07 PM

annerk

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quote:

ORIGINAL: jmcmchi

quote:

ORIGINAL: fingers

quote:

ORIGINAL: DoubleD1969

That’s hilarious Jenise.

+1

+2

+3

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RE: Tasting Room Romance - 7/16/2023 10:09:01 AM

penguinoid

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quote:

ORIGINAL: BobMilton
Has made me wonder about the revers - how many wines that I didn't care for in the tasting room would be really good if I took them home? No way to know.

Absolutely, I think this definitely can happen unfortunately. The wines that stand out in a tasting line up may not be the best when drunk on their own with food. More restrained and elegant wines can get lost in a tasting but shine when drunk by themselves with a meal, for example.

I like to think I've got better at picking the wines I like at tastings, and certainly have fewer disappointments -- but it's hard to know if there are wines I passed on in the cellar door that I would have really enjoyed if I'd bought a bottle.

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RE: Tasting Room Romance - 7/16/2023 6:37:04 PM

mclancy10006

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quote:

ORIGINAL: ChrisinCowiche

Ha Jenise!

Barb and I have a code word when one or the other of us wants to pay the fee and walk away... Hip Chick! There was/is a winery in Portland, OR named Hip Chicks Do Wine, where I signed us up for the full meal deal, a tasting, food, etc... When we arrived, Barbilocks was not hungry and balked at paying the fee, she wouldn't even let me taste the wine for a reduced fee. She Hip Chicked me! That was at least 13-14 years ago, and we, still to this day, "Hip Chick" joints, whether wine, restaurant, whatever. If anyone is ever dining or tasting with us we share the code word and it's meaning to avoid confusion.

Oh it's "Hip Chick" not "Hip Check" I wonder why people got mad when I slammed them to get away from buying plonk. :)

Mark

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RE: Tasting Room Romance - 7/17/2023 5:32:16 AM

daviladc

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Like Jenise, it happened in Paso. Excited about Turley zins at the winery but too flabby if not drunk young.

The other time was at a small family winery on the valley floor in Napa. Great people, marketing and beautiful grounds, but the American Oak was just too much after some additional bottle age.

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RE: Tasting Room Romance - 7/17/2023 9:49:34 AM

jcosindc

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quote:

ORIGINAL: annerk

quote:

ORIGINAL: jmcmchi

quote:

ORIGINAL: fingers

quote:

ORIGINAL: DoubleD1969

That’s hilarious Jenise.

+1

+2

+3