Notes From the Tasting Room

Hi, I’m Sophia, Niki and Scott’s oldest daughter. If you’ve visited Boundary Breaks in the last few years, there’s a good chance I poured your wine. I worked three summers in the tasting room while I was home from college, and it changed the way I think about wine and people.

4 Things I Learned Behind the Bar at a Finger Lakes Winery

When I first started working in a tasting room at Boundary Breaks, I thought the job would be simple: pour wine, smile, talk about Riesling. Easy, right?
Wrong.

I quickly learned that working in a winery is so much more than pouring a splash into a glass. It’s about reading people, adapting on the fly, and figuring out how to give every guest a great experience, even when they all want something completely different. After three summers behind the bar, here are the biggest lessons I learned:

1. Every Guest Is Different, and That’s the Challenge

There’s no “average” wine drinker. In one day, I could pour for a collector who knows vineyard elevations down to the foot, followed by someone who just wants “the sweetest wine you’ve got.” Some guests want to geek out about soil composition, while others just want a quick taste and a photo by the vines.

Customizing the experience for each person is one of the hardest—and most rewarding—parts of the job. When you nail it, you see it in their face: that “wow” moment when the wine and the story click.

2. Learning Never Stops

I learned from everyone—coworkers, winemakers, and even guests. You never know when someone is going to share a piece of wine knowledge you’ve never heard before. The industry changes constantly with new vintages, new styles, and new trends.

If you’re not curious and willing to adapt, you’ll fall behind. That’s true for wine and, honestly, for life.

3. Finding the Perfect Service Model Is Nearly Impossible

Everyone wants something different from a winery. Some want a structured tasting. Others want a casual hangout spot. Some want lunch with the family, while others just want to grab a few bottles and head to the lake. Balancing all those expectations while keeping the operation functional is a tightrope walk.

You learn quickly that there’s no perfect model. The goal is to find the sweet spot that works for your team and then adjust as you go.

4. You Can’t Please Everyone (and That’s Okay)

This was the hardest lesson for me. No matter what you do, someone will leave unhappy. Maybe they wanted bigger pours. Maybe they didn’t like the tasting fee. Maybe they wanted the dog to sit at the table with them. You can rearrange your tasting format all day long, and someone will still complain.

What can you do? Make sure your service is exceptional. People will probably forget the pour size, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel.

Working at a winery taught me that wine is about more than what’s in the glass. It’s about the people who make it, the guests who share it, and the moments in between. Those summers behind the bar didn’t just teach me about wine—they gave me a new perspective on hospitality, patience, and what it takes to create an experience worth remembering.

Did you like this post? If so, you might also enjoy reading about Scott’s perspective on working in a vineyard.

Thanks for joining us on this journey! Before you leave, don’t forget to subscribe to our blog and also check out our Facebook group, Finger Lakes Food and Wine Adventures.

Cheers from the lake!
—Niki and Scott