Tasting room manager friends often brainstorm with me about how to get more people into their tasting rooms during the slower winter and post-holidays season. We try to think outside the box and move beyond craft nights, game nights, trivia nights, bingo nights, etc. – all of which are fun events, but common and not very special. So many wineries host Winemaker for a Day, winemaker dinners, lawn games, outdoor movie nights, grape stomp, and blending classes – all important and valuable and fabulous events, but no longer creative. Not as common are comedy events and improv events, which might be worth a shot depending on what other area wineries have done lately.
I’m probably not the only one who is tired of sip-and-paint (enjoyable, but everyone does it) and wreath-making, glass candle holder and jewelry pop-ups, and other shop-while-sipping events. Chocolate and cheese pairings are a good way to go, and yoga in the tasting room, but again everyone does them. What would make someone go to your tasting room for chocolate to pair with your wines, when multiple other tasting rooms in your city are offering chocolate as well?
I feel like Roaring 20s/Great Gatsby theme events are already passe – so many tasting rooms did New Year’s Eve Roaring 20s events already. Wine and classic car shows are ever present (and successful). Tasting rooms aren’t set up for cooking classes or demonstrations, but those would be a good way to go if possible. Check out this pizza cooking class held at a Maryland winery earlier this year.
I felt like tasting room tarot card readings would be a clever idea, but then I googled it and saw many similar events to this one at Crossing Vineyards.
Here are some interesting wine tasting events I’ve come across that give me ideas and inspirations for unique events we could throw here in Woodinville.
Is a wine and popcorn pairing too weird? How about this clever Souper Sundays event?
I absolutely love the idea of a wine tasting book swap and want to implement this in a willing Woodinville tasting room soon. It attracts book club people, you sell glass pours and bottles rather than do a full tasting lineup, and you can park a food truck outside or serve cheese and charcuterie boards. Rather than a book club event where everyone has to read the same book, just let people bring physical books they’re done with to trade with and donate to each other.
Murder Amongst the Vines (Dahlonega, Georgia) – A murder mystery benefit show being held in a vineyard’s barn. That makes me wonder how many wineries have done murder mystery themed dinners, tastings, etc.?
New York City has several creative and enticing rose wine themed events: the Rose Splash Cruise; an entire Rose Mansion made up of multiple incredibly Instagrammable rooms and photo scene props; the Pinknic picnic; and the La Nuit en Rose festival.
Three cities host the La Fete du Rose event where everyone wears pink: Atlanta, Houston and Washington, DC.
Namaste Then Rose takes place at the Nantucket Wine Festival. You do yoga, then eat light bites paired with Provencal Rose.
Ingleside Vineyards hosts a Run the Vineyards 5k and 10k.
Does your city have a train? How about a Jazz Wine Train ride, like in Texas?
The Rose Day walking wine festival in Missouri serves pink drinks to empower women and girls.
In Northern Michigan, the wineries are banding together to celebrate Rose All May.
You can wander around the grounds of famous Newport mansions at the Newport Mansions Wine and Food Festival.
Everything about the Wine in the Woods event in Pennsylvania seems so fun!
Lake Erie Wine Country is hosting Chosen Treasures. Participants get a charm bracelet and collect a different charm at each participating winery.
Calaveras Winegrape Alliance hosts several interesting events, including a wine grape stomp, Murphys Irish Day, and a four vineyard tour and educational experience.
Chandler Reach Vineyards in Benton City, Washington offers lots of hands-on crafts projects and educational events in their winery, such as cookie decorating classes. I haven’t seen a steak and cigar night anywhere else; and I love that they have dueling pianos coming in.
Not every winery or vineyard, of course, is suited to wine country trail rides, but it’s worth thinking about. See Sonoma Valley Trail Rides and Red Mountain Trails. These are standalone companies without wineries attached, but might have a tasting room or two as scheduled stops.
There are so many creative wine tasting event ideas over at Stone Pillar Vineyard in Kansas, such as a St. Paddy’s Day Leprechaun Hunt, a cookie charms decorating class, an After Dark Adult Easter Egg Party Hunt, and a Vogue in the Vines fashion show in the vineyard!
I don’t even know what to think about this Spartan Obstacle Race at a Paso Robles winery!
Regal Vineyards really has some cool Halloween themed events coming up in October.
You might find this article from the Napa Valley Register on crafting experiences that match winery brands quite fascinating.
What’s an unusual wine tasting event that’s intrigued you lately? Let us know about it in the comments section below!
-Carrie
