Wine Tasting

I don’t care JUST about the wine. I have an agriculture background and I work in customer service. These are both things that are of great importance. I like to know the back story on a wine and the winery and vineyard it was made in/from. I like to create a relationship and have a well rounded experience wherever I go. I may be 23, but if I haven’t made it clear yet, I don’t go wine tasting to get drunk. I care about the whole package a winery has to offer. I care if the tasting room staff is knowledgeable, if the vineyard is well kept, if the wine is served in a specific glass, etc.

I want to help others understand what I'm looking for in a wine tasting experience. Therefore I will keep score for you. I will score on a 100 pt scale (like Wine Spectator).

The 5 categories for tasting in wineries include: Wine, Tasting Room, Vineyard, Service, Something Special.

Obviously the wine is important. Equally important is that there is a good space to have the tasting take place. I don’t want to be in a spare closet, but if it is a boutique winery and they are using a part of their house as their tasting room, that’s very cool. As long as it fits. It should be warm and inviting.

I also want to see the vineyards. I want them to be well groomed and when there is fruit on the vines, I want it to entice me to enjoy the already harvested goodness of the vines. If there are vines by the drive as I pull up and they are diseased, I don’t see how that would be desirable or appetizing to guests.

Service refers to just that – the service. I don’t require valet and a cheese platter with 5 different years of aged Gouda. But I do expect there to be a clean restroom, friendly educated staff, accessibility, and assistance when needed.

Something Special is the most subjective category, but it’s my rating system and my blog so it’s my rules. I want to find something about each winery that is unique and a great conversation starter at a dinner party. I want to say something like “Archery Summit has the only wine caves in Oregon that are mined into the hills not back filled” or “Kramer’s wine dog Cassie saved the winemaker, Trudy, from a cougar one time.” This requires great service and a bit of delving into the history of a winery, but I think you’re worth the extra work. Unfortunately, I have already found several wineries that don’t have that “something special.” Doesn’t mean they aren’t wonderful in several other aspects. They just don't have that something special that catches my attention as being unique. That’s why there’s 5 categories for my scoring.