Jess Lander writes a follow-up of sorts to a recent article describing a distinct downturn in Napa winery tourism visits in the usually very busy summer season.
Apparently it generated a pretty vigorous reader response, with people bemoaning tasting room fees (and often lack of credit toward wine purchases), as well as the almost ubiquitous reliance on online reservation systems which feels regimented, awkward, and takes spontaneity out of the equation for wine country visits.
“…tasting fee increases and the recent switch to a reservation-only model seem to be among the biggest deterrents in future Wine Country trips for Bay Area residents.”
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A Yogi Berra quote comes to mind.
I do miss not having to plan a jaunt into wine country without reservations. It also regiments the day trying to make appointments mesh well.
On the other hand, price it as you like it. If the fees reflect a good value for my experience, I am happy enough!
So, fees, fine, reservation only, bummer.
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I can tell you that wine country traffic in most regions has been down this summer for many different factors. I do believe the general fees in Napa are higher on average than other places and therefore those who are looking to just head on up for a day or two are probably more gun shy to do so economically than before.
I know, I know - there are still plenty of places where folks can taste for ‘reasonable’ fees but yep, they have gone up. The same is true for Paso and we’re seeing more of it down here in SB County as well.
I think our traffic is down for a few obvious reasons - the economy, gas prices - but also because the average hotel stay has skyrocketed as have restaurant prices. In addition, I still don’t think our region does enough to proactively market itself but that’s a whole other thread . . .
Cheers
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My town held it’s annual “Festival of the Vine” this past weekend, wine tastings held at a lot of local restaurants and shops. Typically $10 for 4 tastes, a who’s who of common grocery store wine. Even some unknown’s that I don’t think the grocery store would even carry…
I’ll never complain about Napa tasting fees again.
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I’m not surprised at all. I’m trying to set up a few tastings right now for when my parents are visiting and it’s been incredibly frustrating… Nothing but sit down experience with a “wine educator” for $100+ per person and most need to be arranged 4-6+ weeks in advance.
My in-laws live in Napa and although we are visiting on a monthly basis, we’ve completely stopped visiting wineries. I don’t want to have to plan that far in advance, especially not for “experiences” that I perceive as over-priced.
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Maybe I am just going insane, but didn’t the last article the SF Chronicle published on this topic contain all of the same content?
Hotel prices are why I haven’t done any long weekend trips around California this year.
Napa seemed more quiet when I was there for the Blue Note Jazz Festival end of July. They seem to be doing more events like this to bring people to the region.
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If prices, res only, and other costs are keeping ‘regular’ people away it is still all about profitability and expectation for the wineries and supporting businesses there. Yogi’s point was simple…… IF the place is achieving its business goals. IMHO, of course.
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Shocker. 
Really, though, it might not matter that traffic is down if profits remain the same, or - perhaps - have even increased. That said, I’d assume the wineries want to keep traffic up, but what do I know?
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They have written a series of pieces over the past 6 weeks or so, a few of which have been mentioned here before. This one is a bit different in that it got consumer opinions thrown in.
It’s gotten a bit whacky here - even the Motel 6 in Buellton is charging $250+ on the weekends for a queen bed room . . .
Cheers
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Another possible deterrent is that wineries have become much less family friendly. The default now tends to be 21+ only, whereas before kids were welcome on the grounds while adults tasted. This rules out most places for us, so for the past few years, we have stuck to wineries we know well and who are flexible or welcoming in this regard.
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It’s wacky all over the state. I used to take frequent weekend motorcycle trips into the Sierras during the summer and fall. There is a Motel 6 in Redding that is a perfect escape distance away from SF for those days I left after work. It used to be $60 for the night with taxes. Now that same Motel 6 is around $150-200 w/ tax.
A few months ago, my partner and myself were looking at spending a long weekend in Paso. $330/night before taxes at the La Quinta. Assuming that the hotel is 800 w/ tax for two nights and toss in gas and food - the budget for buying wine becomes tight.
Effectively, it’s forced all of our trips to wine country to be day trips. Effectively limits us to Sonoma, Napa, SCM, and the Sierra Foothills. Paso is a stretch to do in a day - was more doable during the height of the pandemic when traffic was low.
Edit: Let me not leave out our backyard of the Santa Cruz Mountains 
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I gave up on Napa 20-25 years ago when I first had an overwhelmed Highway 29 experience. Sad to see that Sonoma may suffer the same affliction.
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We love to go to Napa Valley, usually do it in the off season (primarily winter). But my tastes are mostly for non-Napa wines, so we rarely taste wine. There’s enough to entertain us without ever setting foot in a winery.
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That’s a great point - and an interesting one as I have found more wineries going down this path - oftentimes driven by their consumer base. To me, this is very short sighted - many a family wants to visit wine country but can’t afford or don’t want to leave their kids at home or with others . . .
Cheers
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Nobody cares.
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This was one of three articles recently about wine tourism. One article not mentioned was that the cost of wine tasting in Sonoma is up 44% since the start of the pandemic. Sonoma wine tasting costs more than before COVID, new data shows. The article on Napa and Sonoma being slow this summer is here Napa and Sonoma businesses report a slow summer in Wine Country. Unfortunately the Chronicle articles are behind a paywall.
My first visit to the wine country after the pandemic lock down was July 2021 to celebrate a friends birthday. We made reservations and checked to see if children were welcome (we had a 6yo with us) and had a great time. While this worked out fine for this event we usually make one or two reservations and like to discover new wineries based on recommendations from tasting room staff and other tasters. The costs and reservations have really slowed our visits to the wine country this year but the biggest thing I miss is the flexibility to take a flyer on a new winery at the spur of the moment.
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I live 90 minutes away from Sonoma/Napa and have had good and horrible tasting experiences. The worst was last summer. My wife and I were visiting an outdoor tasting room near the Square (not Bedrock). We paid for $30 and $20 flights of four Pinots each (1 oz tastes) and the wine was served at the outdoor temperature, which was about 92 degrees. Undrinkable!
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I have felt for many years, unwelcome in Napa and after many years and many subtle and not so subtle insults, have stopped spending there. I doubt if i am missed. The current model seems to be to price out the undesirables and leave the land free for the gentry. I dont mind a tasting fee, but when it is more than I usually spend on a bottle, than I turn around. They dont need my money and i dont need their wine.
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There seems to be a general trend, that goes well beyond wine, of compartmentalizing family and adult only activities. I suppose those without kids probably like it, but it seems rather odd to me. Growing up it seems we mostly did what the adults wanted to do and entertained ourselves as best we could. I like that model. Now it’s adult only vacations, weddings, constant complaining about kids in restaurants. Maybe these things always existed but I wasn’t paying attention before I had children. I don’t mean this to excuse parents allowing their children to be obnoxious in public settings, but some level of greater patience from adults would be welcome as well.
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