What to Expect When You Visit a Winery

If you’ve been wanting to visit a winery, especially in California, but don’t know what to expect, we’re here to help!  Matt McCollough, manager of Three Wine Company in Clarksburg, CA, kindly answered all of our questions about attending a tasting at a winery.  Cheers!

1. How many different wines can a person expect to taste when they visit a winery?

Usually a guest will taste 4-5 wines, depending on the winery.  A tasting pour is about 1 ounce.  5 ounces is equal to a glass, so you will generally leave a tasting having enjoyed the equivalent of a glass of wine.  There are 2 common styles of tastings… 1) Walk up and stand at the tasting bar, or 2) A seated tasting.  Less often a tasting will occur during a tour.  Most wineries will have a tasting menu already set.  But sometimes guests can choose what they want, making it more custom to each guest’s tastes in wine.

2. About how long can they expect to spend there during their visit?

I tell guests to plan to spend 45 minutes to an hour per winery.  This gives you time to enjoy the wine in a relaxing manner while talking with friends or the staff.  If you are with a larger group, it will usually take a little longer.

3. Is there a time of year that is more or less optimal to visit a winery in your region?

The busy season is summer/fall, especially August – October (harvest is happening), and the holidays.  You might be fighting for bar space during these times.  Or if the winery is appointment only, it may be difficult to get in during peak season.  Also, in general, the weekends are the busiest days of the week.  If you want a more relaxed tasting I would recommend visiting in the off season, after Thanksgiving til around the middle/end of April.  During those months it is much slower, and you will have a different experience, even though the tasting is conducted the same way year round.  During the off season there is a better chance of getting to taste something off the menu, getting an impromptu tour or getting to taste the fresh juice/wine from the recent harvest.

4. What’s something that might surprise us about how a wine is made?

There is a lot of science behind winemaking.  When I first got into the business, I thought you just crushed the grapes, put them in a barrel and then bottled it.  Little did I know how one yeast will effect the wine completely different than another yeast.  Or how a barrel from Tennessee will affect the wine differently than one from Missouri, or even from France.  Each barrel will affect the wine differently creating a wide range of tastes and aromas.  I tell folks to think of the different oaks as the winemaker’s spice rack. Winemakers will age the same wine in different oaks and then blend them together to create the best wine they can.  Think of it this way… when cooking a dish, do you only use one seasoning or a few different ones to create the best dish possible?  Then there is the blending.  The wines are all fermented and aged separately and blended shortly before bottling.  For a bottle to be varietal specific (made from or belonging to a single specified variety of grape) it has to be at least 75% of that varietal/grape.  The other 25% can be any varietal the winemaker wants to use.  Oregon is different as they require 85% of the varietal to call the wine a varietal.

5. Tell us a little about Three Wine Company and what you do there.

Three Wine Company was founded by Matt and Erin Cline in 2007.  Matt Cline has been making wine since the 80’s when he started another winery in Sonoma with his brother.

We are located inside the Old Sugar Mill in Clarksburg, CA, just minutes outside of Sacramento.  We produce roughly 10,000 cases a year and focus on the big 3 from Contra Costa County.  The big 3 are Zinfandel, Carignane and Mourvedre.  We produce a number of single vineyard selections and blends. Most of the vineyards we source fruit from were established in the late 1800’s.  We have limited distribution outside of the tasting room with the majority of that on the East Coast.  We are open for tastings Thursday – Friday, 12-5 and Saturday – Sunday, 11-5.

I have been in the wine industry for 15 years and have managed wineries in Napa Valley, Sonoma, Amador, Lodi and Claksburg.  I am Level 3 WSETcertified.  I have the privilege of managing all things direct to consumer, including the tasting room, the wine club and social media.  Along with managing the tasting room, I work the tastings every weekend to keep in touch with what is happening and what the guests are hoping to experience.  I also conduct tours and private tastings for the winery, organize events, and create the concept for our quarterly Wine 101.  Basically, if it has to do with someone’s experience directly with the winery, I am responsible.

For more information about Three Wine Company, visit their website here.

Photos courtesy of Three Wine Company.