http://www.wineclass.net/david-kettinger/tourism-killed-the-winery-tour-or-maybe-not/ Vino Journalism and Scuttlebut from the Wine School of Philadelphia Thu, 08 Jul 2010 17:31:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 http://www.wineclass.net/david-kettinger/tourism-killed-the-winery-tour-or-maybe-not/comment-page-1/#comment-1888 Bill Kane Sat, 23 Aug 2008 17:37:28 +0000 http://www.wineclass.net/2008/07/27/tourism-killed-the-winery-tour-or-maybe-not/#comment-1888 As an operator of intimate wine tours here in Napa, I have to agree with your observations. The general public is lured to the commerical producers because of name recognition, hundreds of people daily, see the names they see on store shelves at home and are drawn in. This gives them a very narrow perspective of Napa wine country. Most are shocked to find out that there are over six hundred wine producers in this valley alone. A need for tasting room staff to service these people costs money,although I disagree with impersonal attitude of many tasters I can understand their frustration of the busload after busload of non wine drinkers parading before them. The private and personalised tours do cost money as well, but a guide can get you into places you could only dream about, but to have that dream, you must have the knowledge of what is out there, up in the hills and down those dusty lanes. As an operator of intimate wine tours here in Napa, I have to agree with your observations. The general public is lured to the commerical producers because of name recognition, hundreds of people daily, see the names they see on store shelves at home and are drawn in. This gives them a very narrow perspective of Napa wine country. Most are shocked to find out that there are over six hundred wine producers in this valley alone.
A need for tasting room staff to service these people costs money,although I disagree with impersonal attitude of many tasters I can understand their frustration of the busload after busload of non wine drinkers parading before them.
The private and personalised tours do cost money as well, but a guide can get you into places you could only dream about, but to have that dream, you must have the knowledge of what is out there, up in the hills and down those dusty lanes.

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