$95 Tasting Fee Now Includes Wine

Describing the move as a meaningful investment in the guest journey, a Rutherford estate announced Monday that its $95 tasting fee will now include wine, sources confirmed.

The fee previously covered a seated 75-minute presentation, a view of the vineyard and a printed card listing the wines that would have been poured.

“We heard from guests that there was a gap in the experience, and we listened to that,” said director of hospitality Renata Coyle, adding that the estate had studied the change for nearly two years before the operational lift became feasible. “This is a real cost to us and we’re absorbing the large majority of it. The fee is staying at $95 because we didn’t feel it was right to pass that along. I think that says something about who we are.”

Pours are one ounce. The fee is waived with a six-bottle purchase, which begins at $840.

At press time, the estate had introduced a $220 tier that includes a second ounce.