Winery Tasting Room Daily Operations Checklist

Tasting rooms are busy from harvest through the holiday gift season, with tours, tastings, club pickups and bottle sales all happening at once. Guests expect a relaxed experience; staff need a well-organised day behind the scenes to deliver it. A daily checklist keeps glassware clean, stock in place, serving responsible and the till accurate.

Opening

• Clean and set tasting bar and tables
• Polish and check glassware for chips
• Chill and open wines for the day's flights; label open bottles with the date
• Restock tasting sheets, spit buckets, water and crackers
• Check retail shelves and refill from stock
• Check card readers and float
• Review bookings, tours and club pickups
• Brief staff on the flights, tasting notes and any sold-out wines

Tasting Service

• Pour consistent tasting measures
• Offer water and food
• Track pours per guest according to your policy and local rules
• Know how to decline service politely and who to call for support
• Record sales and club sign-ups

Responsible service rules vary by location; make sure every server has whatever training your state or country requires.

Tours

• Confirm tour route is safe and clean
• Check any areas off-limits are clearly marked
• Brief guides on safety around equipment and cellars

Club and Orders

• Prepare club pickup orders in advance
• Check shipping orders and compliance requirements for shipping wine
• Confirm gift orders and wrapping

Closing

• Cap, date and store open bottles properly
• Wash and dry glassware
• Clean bar, tables and spit buckets
• Count cash and reconcile sales
• Update stock levels for retail and tasting wines
• Lock up the cellar and retail areas

Many tasting rooms share processes with taprooms; see the brewery and taproom daily checklist. For the holiday season's gift buying, the holiday rush playbook for small teams helps with staffing.

How MyTeamTasks Helps

Tasting rooms often rely on weekend and seasonal staff. In MyTeamTasks, opening, tasting and closing routines are checklists, open-bottle dates and stock counts are text tasks, and the owner can see whether the tasting room was set and closed properly even when working in the cellar.