My casino wine tastings have become an important part of my business, but the idea started in the kitchen of a retirement community called Inspired Villages.
Before COVID, I was helping at an open day, showcasing wines to families looking around a newly opened village.
People were arriving at different times, popping upstairs to see the bedrooms, then coming back to discuss what they thought of the facilities. Understandably, listening to me explain a wine wasn’t always their priority.
Changing tack
So I changed tack. I had a few wines at different price points and started asking people to taste them and guess which was the most expensive.
Suddenly, whoever drifted back into the kitchen to talk about the en suite had something to join in with. More people gathered around, tasted the wines and offered their opinions. It became a central point, and people got really engaged.
I realised how much easier it was to draw people in when I gave them something to do together. They could join as they arrived, without needing to hear an explanation from the beginning.
From guessing game to wine casino
That little guessing game grew into the casino tastings I now host at corporate receptions and conferences, and the same things still make it work.
Guests can have a go while enjoying the reception, compare their answers and get talking to someone they might otherwise never have approached. You don’t need to know much about wine to have a strong opinion about which glass deserves the higher price.
It’s a lovely way to get clients and colleagues talking. And I’ll never get tired of hearing the arguments for everyone’s choices!
