| As Sula discovers the marketing power of the on-vineyard wine tasting experience, it is interesting to see how wineries throughout the United States and Canada are redefining the experience, making it more upmarket and expensive as well. Increasingly, they are charging walk-in customers to taste their wines and offering fee-based reserve tasting options to enhance the experience, according to survey results slated for publication in the Wine Business Monthly 's May 2006 issue.
Half of the wineries polled said they charge a tasting fee, with the average falling in the range of US$3-6. As one might expect, wineries said they charge more for "reserve tastings" or when pairing wine with food.
Many Napa Valley wineries now charge US$10 for a "bare bones" tasting and some charge more for salon-style or sit-down tastings. So the next time you are on a wine holiday in the US , don't expect anything for free in the tasting room.
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