French tasting etiquette

As a mere tourist to France - not ITB - trying to wangle a few tastings at Burg or Rhone producers, what’s the drill? My impression is that most private places are not retail outlets and that the wine may not even be for sale. Is it insulting to offer to buy wine? I don’t want to get caught up in a whole quid pro quo thing, but should we think about bringing some sort of gift for our host? If so, what is appropriate? A jewel-encrusted sceptre, or an “I (heart) Portland” t-shirt?

I’m not talking here about big commercial tasting places - I suspect it will be easy enough to figure out what to do at those places. But if we’re fortunate enough to get a private tasting appointment, I’d like the experience to be as mutually rewarding as possible.

Suggestions? [dontknow.gif]

Paging Noel…

Come in, Noel.

No one else seems to be helping, so I’ll tell you works for me! Seriously, this is what you have to do…

You and Melissa will have to walk in together, she should just dress like she normally would, but you should put on that grass skirt that Melissa bought you in Hawaii and nothing else. While walking up to the Chateau, sing Memories from Cats, the French love that stuff…trust me, you’ll get their attention and some great service! I swear, this is what i do…I wouldn’t lie! [dance2.gif]

Zach, I should have been more explicit.

I know all the stuff about the grass skirt and the song and all that… I’m trying to figure out what kind of bag I’m supposed to wear over my head? Just a regular brown paper bag, or something a little more, you know, fancy?

An honest interest in the wines and the winemaker will go a long way, as will a smile. Conversations about money and commercial aspects are somewhat frowned upon as first topics of discussion and should not be mentioned until the end of a visit, when it should be delicately broached if you feel comfortable enough. Those subjects are considered crass as opening gambits, which has led to tons of cultural misunderstandings (much to my amusement as an observer, I must say). Also, gifts for the host are not necessary and may not be appreciated as much as you’d like or in the way you’d like (ask me about the wine we gave to Freddy Mugnier once…).

Worse case, have Melissa walk in topless. Never works for me, but it might for a woman. [good.gif]

Feel free to PM me if you need any cultural advice or translations.
Cheers! [gen_fro.gif]

You’re on the wrong Wine Board. Go to: http://dat.erobertparker.com/bboard/

Why is this the wrong place to ask that question?

Steve, we’re mainly a bunch of inventerate slobs and Frankophobes here. You’ll get much more helpful advise on the Squires Board. Just my opinion.

I agree with Michel, what I find interests them the most/warms them up is finding out that the visitor truly loves and has even a little knowledge for their wines. In most cases, I e-mail them ahead, introduce myself, let them know I’ve had their wines before (I list the specific vintages/bottlings), share some of my notes, let them know when I’m in town and ask if it would be possible to visit them. I give one or two dates/times I am available but also make sure to let them know that I am always willing to go there at a time convenient to them.

In addition, since I occasionally write wine-related articles (when requested) for local magazines which intermittently post these articles in their websites, I send them links to my such articles.

It seems a bit crass, but, if I know they know people I know I mention that we share that/those common friend(s). That works well here in Manila, and, I notice, it also works well in France. I figure it re-assures them I’m no axe-murderer or moocher because it gives them an opportunity to check if I’m for real.

All that said, I suspect that they find me because I’m a non-ITB lawyer from a country not known for wine-consumption, who knows a little bit about French wine and bothers to travel to their country/region because of wine. I think that piques their interest. In any event, I almost always get my appointment.

I never bring gifts as that seems too forward. Burgundy doesn’t really have the strict selling system of Bordeaux, so it is easy to buy wine at wineries in the former - but, as Michel says, that is better brought up at the end of your visit. If you want to visit Anne Gros, she has available for sale even some wines of her friends - not only her own. Her own top bottlings/non-recent vintages, though, are hard to find at retail in Burgundy itself since there is so much demand for them in the US.

Best of luck, Steve. I’ll e-mail you re: those friends of mine in the area. Melissa sent me your schedule so I’ll try and set something up for you.

Best,

N

Steve, by the way. Do not be surprised if some wineries pour unfinished glasses of wine back into the barrels if you are barrel tasting. Some of them really do that with their grand crus.

N

Mike, that’s probably why I feel comfortable asking the question here! I can relate. But I appreciate the hint - thanks.

Welcome to the Board Steve! [cheers.gif]

Michel and Noel, thanks for your advice. Seems simple enough - we’ll certainly do the logistics necessary to arrange appointments and so forth, and I think our genuine enthusiasm and excitement to be able to taste these wines will be evident. I hope our appreciation will be more easily understood than our mangled French!

Be truly interested, be polite, show up on time. Be flexible when making the appointment, suggest at least 2 dates/times. Introduce yourself via email or when making the appointment. If you’ve had their wines in the past, mention that, which one if you recall and how much you enjoyed it. They are artisans, as well as business people, and you honor them by “studying up” as much as they honor you by accepting them into your space.

It is a social call. Talking money/purchasing up front is frowned upon. You’ll get a feel if something is “for sale” or not during the visit. Often ending in a room full of bottles and a cash register. Or a polite “would it be possible for me to buy a few bottles”. I’ve bought out of their metal bins with no problems. IT is seeing the bottles already labelled that gives you the opening to ask “can I buy 2 of these?”. IF the answer is no, that’s that. If yes, at least IMVHO don’t take only the top of the top. Buy some of the 1er and village too.

(side story: at Pegau. Everyone was raving over the Capo which was a RP100. They were clear that each person could buy 2 bottles tops. So everyone did. I really like all their wines. So I asked if I could also buy some of the Laurence, and the Reserve. They were very happy to let me. I asked for 4 of each. That gave me 10. To my surprise and happiness Laurence herself took 2 more Capos, put them in my box and I had 4!! HA! [cheers.gif] )


Tasting. They will dump wines back into the barrel. Expect it. Let them too, do not dump wines on the floor or into a drain. That is very poor form.

Dress can be “casual” but not sloppy. Nice jeans or khakis are fine. Any shirt that isn’t a Tshirt. You will walk through the cellar/barrel room so no heels or crazy stuff like that. And it will be slightly dirty so not the fancy clothes.

Oh on gifts. Yes I have personally brought gifts. BUT that is on my 3rd or 4th visit to the same winery. Peopple I feel I know, and that knokw me. We email a few times a year, I have an idea of things they like and so it is a personal connection. On first visit, I certainly would NOT bring a gift. It is odd.

Now if when making the appointment, they also schedule lunch and you know ahead of time, then I would try to bring a “hostess” gift. Something small and non-food related.

That’s just ridiculous.

Every winemaker I know in Oregon does that. I took a date barrel tasting one day. She was grossed out when I spit into the floor drain but almost fainted when we started pouring wine back into the barrels. Didn’t have a second date.

I had that happen to me with an ex-girlfriend at Dujac. However, Jeremy Seysses made her feel good about it when he said “Now you can say that a little bit of you is in each bottle.” I still have the wine (Clos St Denis) but not the girl, and I know I got the better end of the deal. [good.gif]

[berserker.gif]

Without totally derailing the topic at hand, which is a good one and worthy of input by those who know…this forum doesn’t yet have a niche. It has great activity, welcoming freedom of speech, and a fun personality of its own. Together we carve our own identity, as already witnessed by some additional ‘private’ forums like the NSFW forum, and the Cellar Rats forum.

As we move along, we will see where the demand lies, where the membership wants this board to be, and we’ll adjust accordingly. Since most will have come from the Squires Board, a similar layout is a comfortable place to be in the interim, until our collective direction changes, and the Board with it.