Eberle Winery’s free tastings highlighted in new article
Gary Eberle of Eberle Winery. Courtesy photo
– Eberle Winery’s continued practice of offering complimentary wine tastings is the focus of a recent article published by California Bottle of Wine on July 9.
The article, titled “The Joy and Economics of Complimentary Wine Tasting in Paso Robles,” explores founder Gary Eberle’s long-standing commitment to free tastings, a policy that contrasts with the widespread industry trend of charging tasting fees.
“The Godfather of Paso Robles wine,” as Eberle is often called, has maintained that sampling fees are short-sighted from a business perspective.
“If you think you’re making money charging people to taste, you’re very short-sighted,” Eberle said in the article. “You may save a few bucks in the first year, but long term, you’re losing money. Give people a good product. Americans are very fair people. You give them a good product and a good reason for them to come and enjoy themselves.”
Eberle credited his approach to lessons learned from Robert Mondavi, a prominent figure in the California wine industry.
“It’s no secret we don’t charge. And I didn’t invent it. This was one of the things I learned from Mr. Mondavi. He didn’t tell me a damn thing about making wine. But he taught me a whole lot about selling wine. You’ve got to have a good product and you’ve got to have great hospitality and you’ll sell wine. That has worked for us,” Eberle said.
Eberle added that his overhead costs are higher because of the larger number of employees needed to support the complimentary experience, but he believes the investment benefits the winery, its staff, and overall sales.
In the article, Eberle also reflected on Mondavi’s influence, stating, “I mean this in the most complimentary sense, he (Mondavi) was the PT Barnum of our industry. He pulled not just Napa, but he pulled our whole industry into the 21st century.”
The full article is available at California Bottle of Wine.
