Wine Tastings Gone Wild!

Filed in archive New York Wines , Wine News , Wine Rooms/Bars , Wineries on July 10, 2007

The front page of Monday's New York Times had a story about some of the frustrations Long Island wineries are facing. No, it has nothing to do with crops, winemaking, or labor. It has to do with their wine tastings. It seems that some people have mistaken tasting rooms for bars, and instead of paying attention to all the subtle characteristics of the Chardonnay in their glasses, they're tossing them back without any thought.

From The New York Times (free registration is required to read the entire article):

This season, small signs bearing stern messages - "No Buses," "No Limos," "Appointment Only" - have sprouted outside many of the wineries. There also are reports of tastings gone wild involving intoxicated visitors who have tossed back full glasses of wine without regard to nose or body until they grabbed the brass spittoon for baser purposes.

The latest additions to local lore include a story about members of an inebriated group at the Palmer Vineyards here who hopped off a hayride and began gallivanting naked through the vines. Then there were the drunken customers at the Pugliese Vineyards in Cutchogue who jumped into the shimmering lake next to the elegant outdoor tasting area. And the Bachelorette parties that often culminate in tabletop dances, to the horror of nearby oenophiles sniffing or sipping the local chardonnays.

But this isn't just a problem in New York. According to the same article, wineries in California and Washington have faced similar issues. Gone are the free tastings; many wineries now charge a fee. Many also no longer allow limos bringing groups of people. It's sad how people take advantage of these tastings. It seems that even more than wine tasting etiquette, a class in just plain common sense would be beneficial for the people taking advantage of these tastings.