How to Run a Wine Tasting Room

Explore this Article

parts

1Training Staff and Planning Your Policies

2Setting up and Advertising Your Room

3Serving Customers

Other Sections

Expert Q&A

Related Articles

References

Running a wine tasting room is an excellent way to create a business while sharing your love of wine with the world. The key to a good environment is the staff, which has to be friendly and knowledgeable about the wines you sell. You’ll have to train them while also building a room with a calming atmosphere and easy to understand rules. Once you do, customers will love visiting your room again and again.

Steps

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Training Staff and Planning Your Policies

1. 
   1
   Hire staff that’s passionate about wine. Staff need to be enthusiastic about wine, since they’ll be selling it. Passion is a good trait to look for when hiring, but candidates also need to be friendly. An ideal staff member is willing and able to explain the wine you sell to customers of all experience and taste levels.

   • For example, ask interview candidates, “What experience do you have in the hospitality business?”
   • Also ask, “What makes you think you’re a good fit for my business?”
   • You can ask them about wine, like, “What’s your favorite type of wine? Why do you like it?” You should be able to have a conversation about wine and sense their passion.
2. 
   2
   Educate the staff on your wines. Your staff have to be knowledgeable about your wines, in addition to the wine world in general. Let your staff sample your product so they can describe it accurately. Have them describe the wine and give a sales pitch to you so you can correct their mistakes.

   • Ask them to describe the wine’s flavors, as well as recite when and where it was made.
   • Staff also need to be able to recommend what food pairs well with the wine.
   • Staff are responsible for recommending tasting orders to customers. Remind them that dry wines need to be tasted before stronger, sweeter ones.
   • If you have a gift shop or sell wine club memberships, make sure your employees can explain these perks to customers too.
   Advertisement
3. 
   3
   Keep tasting fees low. You are welcome to charge nothing for tastings. Many other tasting rooms charge a small fee, such as $3 USD for a few samples. If you do this, decide on a simple fee that won’t confuse customers. Customers should know exactly how much they need to spend to taste the wines they want.

   • For example, you can charge one fee for basic tasting and a higher fee to include your most expensive wines. This two-tiered approach doesn’t require much effort to understand.
4. 
   4
   Waive the tasting fee for wine purchases. The purpose of tasting is to get customers to buy wine you stock. It’s tacky for a business to charge the tasting fee on top of the bottle price. Instead, subtract the fee from the total purchase. It’s up to you to decide what minimum customers need to spend before you waive the fee.

   • For example, if you sell a $100 USD bottle of wine after a $3 USD tasting fee, charge the customer $97 USD for the bottle.
5. 
   5
   Print out a list of your room’s practices. Come up with a list of common questions guests are likely to ask. These answers can then be written on a chalkboard placed over your bar. They can also be printed on papers left on tables. Customers won't need to wave down busy staff members to get the information they need.

   • A common question you can answer is “What wines are only available here?”
   • Printouts can also be used for more in-depth explanations on how your wines were made. Most customers won’t be interested, but the ones that are won’t have to ask your staff.
6. 
   6
   Make a tasting menu. Print out a list of all the wines you have available for tasting. A helpful menu includes a brief description of the wine with information like wine type, production location, vintage, and flavor profile. Update this menu as you change your stock so your customers always stay informed.

   • An example of a description of a wine is, “Pinot Grigio. Well-balanced with light citrus flavors and a clean finish.”
   • The wine you stock is up to you, but having a range of dry and sweet wines appeals to all customers.
7. 
   7
   Establish whether or not your room accepts tips. Some rooms accept tips, while others don’t. Whatever you choose, print it on your menu. Calculating costs is easier for customers when they don’t have to worry about tips, but think of your workers. Tips for good service can encourage your workers to work harder.

   • You can also decide what tipping methods are acceptable. You might limit tipping to a cash jar on the bar, or accept tips from credit cards.
   • Remember that your workers are essentially family. If you treat them well, they’ll be more likely to show enthusiastic when talking to customers.
   Advertisement

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Setting up and Advertising Your Room

1. 
   1
   Set up the room near the vineyard for scenery. A view of the vineyard provides a beautiful sense of atmosphere. Customers get to visit and tour your wine source, which encourages them to buy your product. However, some vineyards are in rural locations that won’t attract a lot of customers.
2. 
   2
   Build the room in a city to be closer to customers. Building a room in a city enables you to target your market. You’ll be going to the customers, so they won’t have to travel far to reach your room. The scenery most likely won’t be as good as it would be in rural locations, and you’ll have to ship the wines to your room.

   • For example, you can target a wealthier demographic if you build your room in a high-income area.
3. 
   3
   Paint and furnish your room to feel inviting. It’s up to you how furnish your tasting room, but the goal is to make customers feel comfortable. For example, paint the walls in warm colors such as yellow. Have a large window so customers can see the beautiful outdoors. Also, get a counter made out of wood and install a decent sound system to play soothing classical music.

   • A room that’s painted all white and has cheap folding tables will feel sterile like a hospital, so customers may get a negative impression of your business.
4. 
   4
   Give customers varying ways to enjoy the wine. Wine tasting rooms are about the guest experience, so you’ll need to give customers options. You can have your big, wooden bar, but add some standing areas and outdoor tables. Consider adding food pairing events, tours, reserved seating, and private rooms for your best customers.
5. 
   5
   Get your business licenses from the government. Check with your local government to figure out exactly what you need to do before you can open. In the US, you’ll need to apply for a liquor license in addition to a business license. Fill out the paperwork documenting your business location and operations, then wait for the government to respond.

   • Be aware that this can be a very long and costly process. It can take months and cost you thousands of dollars in fees.
6. 
   6
   Network with other business owners. As you wait for your licenses, go out and visit other tasting rooms in the area. Speak to winery owners, workers, and sellers of any wines you wish to carry. Make friends with them and they’ll refer customers to your room.

   • Start out by saying, “Hi, I like your place. I’m building one myself.” This starts discussions on running a business or enjoying wine.
7. 
   7
   Open a website and social media pages. The first step is to get your own website, which can be done by buying a domain name from an online company and hiring someone to code the site. Follow up by creating accounts on Facebook and other social media platforms. Use all of your pages to inform customers about your business and wine offerings.

   • For example, you can post your menu, mention special events, and advertise wines you carry.
   • Include a description of your business, contact information, directions, and a place to sign up for more information.
8. 
   8
   Create a customer email or phone list. These lists help you stay in contact with your customers while advertising to them. Signing up for a newsletter should be voluntary. You can have a place for customers to sign up on your website or you can ask them when they visit your business. The mailing list can be set up through an email service like Gmail or a paid service like MailChimp.

   • Once you open for business, include a contact information book or customer service cards your guests can fill out so you can stay in touch with them.
   • If you collect contact information manually, ask them, “Would you like to sign up to our newsletter?” Then they can volunteer their email address or phone number.
   Advertisement

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Serving Customers

1. 
   1
   Place spit and dump buckets in accessible locations. Spitting and dumping wine isn’t as gross as it sounds. A lot of customers won’t drink the full sample of wine in order to avoid drinking too much too quickly. Tossing out old wines means they’ll order more samples. Keeping metal buckets for this purpose helps your business in the long run.

   • If you don’t have buckets, extra glasses can be used instead.
2. 
   2
   Supply snacks as a palate-cleanser. Clear palates help customers fully taste wine flavors. You don’t need to provide a meal, but bring along some crackers or cheese. Let your customers have a little after they drink a sample. By fully tasting your samples, your customers will be more likely to find a wine they want to purchase.

   • Fruit and nuts are simple snack options. You can offer a charcuterie plate with salami, ham, and other options, or a cheese plate.
   • Water can also serve as a refresher between samples and helps reduce drunkenness.
3. 
   3
   Welcome everyone that comes to your room right away. Give customers attention and take their orders promptly to ensure good service. Bad service ruins the experience, so make this a priority. Customers will be more willing to return to your business if you do.

   • It doesn’t matter if you’re busy entertaining a celebrity, critic, or industry insider. Treat everyone the same way.
4. 
   4
   Speak to customers in simple terms. You will be serving first-time tasters and wine experts alike. Keep your wine descriptions simple and brief, such as by discussing the taste of the wine and the customer’s flavor preferences. Save discussions of in-depth manufacturing details for the experts and focus on giving the customer what they want.

   • For example, say “This is a Merlot from California. It has a soft plum taste, which makes it good for beginners.”
5. 
   5
   Avoid aggressively selling products. While sales are important for your business, your wine tasting room shouldn’t involve a high-pressured sales pitch. Recommend products to your customers, but don’t be confrontational. Instead, focus on giving them a good time in a relaxing environment. It’ll make them more willing to spend money at your room.

   • A positive selling tactic would sound like, “You’ll love the rich peach flavor. This wine didn’t last an hour when I set it out at my holiday party.”
   • Negative tactics sound more aggressive. For example, “Buy this now. You can’t come here and not buy something. You’re making a mistake by not buying this wine right now.”
6. 
   6
   Be discrete when pouring special products. It’s okay to keep special or expensive wines in reserve for your top customers. However, don’t leave them out for everyone else to see. Turn your back to the room when pouring the wine, then put the bottle away. Leaving it out only makes others feel excluded.
7. 
   7
   Provide some activities for kids to do. Some customers have to bring their kids with them, which might cause a little extra noise. Entertain children with some activities such as coloring books or games. You can also provide them with crackers or other snacks. This gives them something to do and makes their parents happy as well.

   • If the kids are happy, the parents will probably stay longer and be more likely to spend money.
8. 
   8
   Limit the amount of people in the room. Crowd control helps give your customers a better experience during busy days. To stop the room from becoming overcrowded, place some tables outside. You can also build some extra rooms to spread out the crowd. Another option is to close off the parking lot when your tasting room is full.

   • You’ll have to follow maximum capacity rules for your area. Check with your government to find out how many people you’re allowed to have in a room.
9. 
   9
   Stop serving drunk guests. Drunk guests are a nightmare for staff and ruin the experience for other guests. Recognize when a guest has had too much, such as when they’re stumbling or slurring words. Don’t ever give them more to drink. If they get rowdy, you’ll have to ask them to leave or quietly call the police.

   • Make sure the person doesn’t drive a car, either. Offer to call them a cab. If you let someone get drunk and drive, you could get in trouble with the law.
   Advertisement

Expert Q&A

Search

Add New Question

• Question

  What wines are good for a tasting?

  

  Samuel Bogue
  Certified Sommelier

  Samuel Bogue is a sommelier based in San Francisco, California. He is the Wine Director of the renouned Ne Timeas Restaurant Group and a wine consultant for other top restaurants in the San Francisco Bay area. He gained his Sommelier certification in 2013, and since then has been recognized as a Zagat "30 Under 30" award winner and a Star Chefs Rising Star.

  

  Samuel Bogue

  Certified Sommelier

  Expert Answer

  Plan your wine and food menus together. I try to select wines which will let the food shine without being distracting or overbearing. That might mean choosing a wine with flavors that complement the food, or I might look for an opposing flavor, like a sweeter wine with a salty, sour dish. Then, I consider the weight and texture of the wine and how it will stand up to the food. It's also important to me personally to try to find a wine with a great story that I can share to support the farm to table culture.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If How.com.vn has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support How.com.vn

  YesNo

  Not Helpful 0Helpful 1

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertisement