California Wine Tasting During COVID-19
Are you trying to decide if you want to go winetasting? Are you wondering about the wine tasting experience? Sharing our considerations and experiences to assist in your decision making.
Unquestionably, everyone has their own comfort level and circumstances that factor into what undertakings you will and won't do during this pandemic. If you are trying to decide about going winetasting, ask yourself if you are ready to dine-out and go to your hair salon. If you're willing to do both of these activities, then you should consider getting out and enjoying a wine tasting. Is the experience different, yes, but the procedures or protocols don't really differ all that much from business to business.
As an example, when I arrived at my hair salon for my appointment, I was asked to call to see if they are ready to take me, as do some wineries. If you go out to a restaurant, you are encouraged (or required) to make a reservation. You will also need to wear a mask to check-in and be seated, and any time you leave your table, you are asked (and should) wear your mask to be considerate of other diners. These situations are the new normal, and, as we get used to the altered experience, I found I can still enjoy myself.
After more than three months at home, we were ready for a change of scenery. We traveled by car during the week and chose to stay in San Luis Obispo (SLO) rather the Santa Barbara. SLO is a college town that is a little lower key than Santa Barbara and with fewer tourists traveling north from Los Angeles. We located a great Airbnb and plenty of restaurants with patio dining. This location also allowed us to explore the central coast of California, driving up Highway 1 to Big Sur, which had long been on my must-visit list.
We chose to visit wineries in Los Olivos in Santa Barbara County, based on wines we had tried and wanted to discover what else they had to offer. Both of the wineries we visited here did not have outdoor seating, but had a couple of different tasting areas, and had spaced out their seating. Since we visited during the week, there was only one other table tasting at the same time, so it wasn’t an issue of feeling crowded inside.
I didn’t know a great deal about Edna and Arroyo Grande Valley AVAs in San Luis Obispo County, so we decided to explore these regions too. The three wineries we chose here all had outdoor space, so that, combined with the selection of wines they had to offer, helped to narrow down our visit list.
In total, we visited five wineries over two days, and each was a bit different in terms of the experience. The common thread was everyone wore a mask. We had made appointments ahead of time at all but one winery which had indicated we could just drop-in.
At Brewer-Clifton, they lined up the bottles and already had the tasting pre-poured when we were seated. We talked about the first two wines before they left us to taste, coming back to ask if we had any further questions after tasting those, and then we went on to the next wines in the same manner. It was efficient and limited the interactions, while at the same time, I didn’t feel rushed. Often at a wine tasting, we get to talking, or I’m busy taking notes, and the server is ready to pour the next wine. When the tasting room was busy, you would feel you had to keep things moving. The pre-pour format allowed for our own pacing while still leaving us with a good understanding of the winery and the wines. They asked if we wanted any additional tastes, and after tasting five of their wines, we felt it gave us a broad perspective of what they had to offer.
At Liquid Farm, we were seated at a table for our tasting while the owner stood at the bar. He told stories of his background, how the winery came to be, their philosophy, details of the region, and so on. The extra distance didn’t diminish our experience in the least. We walked away with an appreciation of their philosophy, an understanding of the cool-climate Santa Rita Hills AVA, and plenty of wine in the trunk of our car.
Another winery, Claiborne and Churchill, provided fantastic details of their protocols when we made the online reservation. Their email outlined what to expect ahead of our visit, so we knew they were only providing wine by the glass or bottle tastings. This information allowed us to research ahead of time which wines we wanted to try. Everything was outside, and they had set up nice table and chair groupings, spreading them out much further than required because they had space. They put on poster boards the history and story behind the winery, the labels, why they had chosen particular grapes which pertained to the terroir, and their process. I thought it was a creative way to get many of the questions answered while enjoying the outdoor setting.
There was only one place where we had to wait for our table, but it wasn’t a big deal as it allowed time to wander around outside snapping pictures (no one said you had to stay in your car). And not unlike most restaurants, wineries can be short-staffed, or the staff is getting used to the new protocols, and things can take a bit longer. One place was trying scheduled seating every two hours, which probably has some efficiencies, but caused the wine pourers to become very backed up when all tables were seated at roughly the same time. This structure is perhaps something they will tweak over time.
Wineries are adjusting to these times just like we are, so a reminder to remember your patience. We can all be a bit kinder and offer constructive suggestions to the appropriate people. I’ve received follow-ups from two wineries asking about the overall experience, and our well-being, so they are seeking ways to improve.
We felt with these good distancing practices, or outdoor space seating, the interactions were low risk. From an experience perspective, we had our questions answered, obtained great insights, and even had some opportunities for storytelling - it just wasn’t across a bar, which was fine by me.
In planning your visits, here are some considerations you could take into account to increase your comfort level and experience;
Can you take a couple of days off and go during the week? If not, think about going to lesser-traveled wine regions or out of the way wineries.
Select wineries with outdoor spaces; many will be able to spread out and allow for an enjoyable experience.
If a winery doesn’t have an outdoor space, make a reservation for a private tasting space. Most places seem to have already considered this when reconfiguring their tasting rooms.
Sorry but no more large groups, depending on the county, maximums varied between 6 and 8 people.
I know everyone has a different tolerance for risk, but with some advance thought and planning, I believe you can have an enjoyable experience. The vibe was very positive and I’m ready to go again. Just be sure to please wear a mask 😷 😊