Healdsburg Local Customs

Maybe this is a good time to go through the Do's and Don't's of wine tasting:

Don't sidle up to someone standing at the counter and say "Haven't I seen you here before" or "Do you come here often" or "Haven't I seen you in the movies?" On the other hand, it is ok to be original and say "We'll be fine as frog's hair."

Don't slap your wine glass back down on the counter and say "Hit me again!"

No matter how slow that guy is behind the counter, don't reach over and help yourself.

Don't snap your fingers and say "Hey Nurse" or "Hey Barkeep" when you are ready to go to the next wine on the list.

Don't say "What? No Rose? Hey no prob - just mix together some of that there reserve chardonnay and some of that Library Collection cabernet sauvignon."

Don't say "This wine tastes kind of bland. How about a shot of club soda and fixing up one of them wine spritzer things?"

Do buy a bottle of wine, if you like it, and carry it home or have it shipped. Pick a wine you are unlikely to find at home. Shipping laws in the US were recently loosened, thanks to one of the rare very well thought out decisions of our US Supreme Court. California wineries can now ship to more US states than ever before, including New York and Florida, both of which had previously prohibited internet sales from California.