This article originally appeared at Moâ Vino Journey.  Please follow them on Facebook and Twitter for more great wine content.
I have been asked many times by people what my favorite winery is. I find that a tough question to answer because I have visited so many outstanding places, but I always come back to naming the same place. I got to thinking though, what makes that my favorite? Is it a spacious and beautiful tasting room?
Is it a lovely campus and building? Is it good wine? Or is it something more than all of these things? I have given it a good deal of thought and I have come up with what I use to determine that complex question.
âWhen looking at the question, I think that the wine must be taken into consideration for sure. If the wine isn’t good, you would never call it your favorite. You need to enjoy it but I don’t think it needs to be your favorite wine, just wine you enjoy.
I don’t feel like a big beautiful building has anything to do with the decision for me. For me, what is more important than visually impressive architectural feats is a welcoming environment. An environment that you want to spend time in.
This leads me to my next, and what I feel is the most important part, the hospitality. If the wine is fantastic and the environment is nice but they don’t treat the customers with genuine kindness, no one is going to want to spend time there. The hospitality is so key. It is a service business after all. I have been to wineries that I felt were really nice, other than the way I was treated by the staff and that was the straw that broke the camelâs proverbial back, when it came to how I felt about it.
My favorite winery is a small and modest location in a tiny Missouri town. What this winery has though, that others don’t, that make is so special, is the environment and the unparalleled hospitality. Those things to me play a huge part in creating an unforgettable experience, that would make you want to come back to again and again. These of course are just my rambling thoughts, but I would love to hear what you think and even what your favorite winery is. Shoot us an email or leave a comment on the page. We look forward to hearing what all of our readers have to say.
