So this week I have really been working at the vineyard a lot, I needed some extra hours so I practically work everyday- which is fine with me! I love working weekdays, because unlike the busy weekends you have time to get to know the people who you do a tasting with. Get to find their love in wine and their story and teach them a little about you. I have only been working at this one winery (I worked at another for 1 1/2 previous) since February, but already I have obtained so many business cards and recipes of fond costumers and now friends who have come in. I have even gotten some that will help me to pursue my acting career which is phenomenal.
RAVE:
Now a lot of times people come in and its their first wine tasting. They usually will smile from embarrassment and tell me they don't know how to do a proper wine tasting. 9/10 times THESE are my favorite people. I love them because for the pure simple fact they are not wine snobs, but they are willing to learn. It's exciting because you get to help them figure out on what scale does their pallat start: Sweet white, dry white, light bodied red, Dry red, Big red, Rose, desert wine. Then you get to get more in depth- do they like stone fruit, tropical fruit taste? Oak or Steel fermented? High tannic levels or low? High residual sugar or low? Blends or one grape? You also then as the taster have a HUGE influence on how they perceive wine from here on out. Wine has so much psychology to play- if some one just getting into wine has a horrible tasting experience with someone who was a wine snob scoffing at the lack of knowledge a costumer has (that may sound intense, but believe me I have seen it happen) that person, no matter how bad or good the wine they drank was, is going to put wine tastings as a negative experience. One of my favorite moments in this industry will be when someone who wasn't a wine fan finds a wine they are shocked how much they love and buy a bottle or a glass.
RANT:
Let me start this story by saying this- WINE TASTING IS AN ADULT ACTIVITY. The end. You don't ask a bartender for a high chair then get upset when he tells you your dimple darling tax deduction is not allowed to sit at the bar until he is 21... then why shouldn't the same hold true to a vineyard? First off let me start off by saying the vineyard I work at is semi kid friendly. We don't allow children at the tastings on a weekend (when we are outside in the adult area), as well as we have an adult only patio and yard. We do however allow children in the indoor tasting room as well as we have a lovely partially shaded family picnic area with benches and a large yard for kids to run around in. I love that we do this, and often times we have parents come in who say "THANK YOU for not being kid friendly everywhere... I do wine tastings to get away from my kids!" Which is what wine tasting should be like a little mini adult vacation. Some people, however do not feel the same and always (very loudly) complain via yelp or to me in person about our policy... now to start this story. Usually I get the complaints only on weekends when they find out they can't have their kid next to them while they do a tasting so someone has to sit out (I think this is good for also DD reasons). It tends to not matter as much on weekdays since we do tastings in the indoor tasting room where children are allowed. They are still however not allowed in our out door adult area patio or yard. So a woman with a young baby, a man, and I assume her mother- walk in asking if we are kid friendly. I tell them we are with the exception of the adult area. She looks at our beautiful patio and frowns "Why can't we sit there?!" I tell her again it is an adult area but if she wants to do a tasting her baby is more then welcome indoors "Well its relatively slow does it really matter!?" (at this point her child starts to cry loudly) "I really can't make an exception ma'am. We have loyal VIP members who have wanted their children in that area, but we have turned down. If we made an exception for one person we'd have to make them for everyone". At this point her mother says "HA, VIP's on a Wednesday" The women then says "FORGET IT WE ARE LEAVING!" and makes a scene as she walks out the door. The husband (who the entire time was looking through merchandise we sold and not listening to this conversation goes "wait the baby is allowed inside though and in that picnic area?" I nod. He then convinces his wife its fine and proceeds to order a bottle. The woman didn't say another word and left to go sit in our family section. So please if you do a tasting respect the wineries rules. If you do end up doing a tasting, many wineries are in fact kid friendly! Just do your research, but just don't blame the ones that aren't. Each winery has a specific vibe that want to set up and it's their call on the rules they want to use.
RECIPE:
Now usually I tell people to use the wines at my vineyard for this, but I want to make it helpful for all. I have been sharing my kick ass Sangria recipes during my tastings and people always say.... wait... stop... repeat that again. So hear it is.
White Sangria:
Fill up a pitcher, glass, or whatever the volume is with it being:
1/2 Vidal Blac, Tremienette, or a Riesling (or a blend of any of those)
1/4 Cran-rasberry juice
1/4 Club Soda
with thin orange slices (as many as you want)
Red Sangria
Fill up a pitcher, glass, or whatever the volume is with it being:
1/2 Sweet Norton, Red Moscato, or a Red Sangria blend
1/4 Lemonade
1/4 Club Soda
with lemon and line wedges (as many as you want)
Nice for a hot summer day and makes the wine last longer!
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