Some Visits are not Worth It!
A couple of months ago, I received an email from a winery asking me to visit and taste their wines. Of course, I was expected to write up on the winery and review the wines.
The winery was out in Abbotsford. Approximate 50 KM away a drive of just over one hour.
An appoint was made and off my wife and I went. Upon arrive we received a simple hello. I explained to the young lady we had an appointment to meet the owner. Sorry she said he is not here today. I now had to explain that we had an appointment. I present my business card .The young lady took the card and disappeared . She returned a few minutes later saying "I can give you a tasting".
We proceeded through a four-glass sampling of their wines, which the young lady did with very little input. We then did a self-tour of the winery, taking numerous photos.
When leaving, as is our custom, we purchased one bottle of wine. I quickly swiped my card, and we headed on to the next winery down the road. "Hi Barb, Hi Bob, so nice to see you!"
Upon arriving home, we checked the receipt from the first winery. We were shocked
Tasting $30
Bottle of wine $32
Tip $7.25
Now remember they invited us!!
Now, where we live, lunch is included in our rent. We missed lunch due to the distance involved. We had to buy lunch, and our loss on that is $12 plus $47. So that trip cost us approximately $130. But wait, there is also the cost of gas!
Did I write up the first winery absolutely not!!
But this is not the first time in 2024 that we have been charged the tasting fee. With today's rising costs, I can not afford to travel to the wineries and pay $30 minutes every time I walk into a winery.
There are also fees included in the cost of running a website.
But let me be totally honest: Most wineries do not charge us tasting fees, and some even provide a free bottle of wine to take home. We never ask or demand anything from a winery other than truly good hospitality and a little respect.
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