Who can use the reservation page?


The reservation page can only be used by Private Cellaring clients with a “Tasting Room Membership” ($60/year). Tasting Room Members have unlimited access to the Tasting Room – to reserve the room for their own private use, and to “drop-in” spontaneously (whenever the room is available). Private Cellaring clients (without a membership), Custodial Cellaring clients and those who do not store wines at The Fine Wine Reserve will occasionally be granted permission to use this room for their own Private event. Those with an interest should call us with their request. Permission to use this room (as our guest) will be granted on a case-by-case basis. Requests coming from our clients, those referred by our clients, wine agents, wineries, sommeliers and other wine industry participants are given higher priority.   

When is the deadline for booking the tasting room?
The deadline is “5pm the day before”. Your reservation must be posted onto the website schedule by “5pm the day before” . Realize that your “reservation” starts off only as a “request”. That request must be accepted and posted onto the website schedule. Posting does not happen immediately. It could take 24 hours or more to process. Sorry, but if that falls after the 5pm deadline the event will not be posted and your request for Private use of the room denied. We suggest you make your reservations at least 48 hours in advance of the deadline. Guaranteed postings require two weeks advanced notice to allow for those rare periods when our webmaster is on vacation and unable to make any postings. The deadline is in place so members who simply want to “drop in” can easily make plans with their guests to meet at FWR that evening or anytime the next day and be confident that the room will remain available for shared use. Although bookings will never be posted on short notice, bookings may be cancelled last minute (and removed from the schedule). Worth checking if you had your heart set on using the room and it is currently booked.

Is my reservation confirmed?
Your reservation is only confirmed once you receive a confirmation e-mail and your event is properly listed on the Event Schedule. Please realize that we do make mistakes. So it is your responsibility to look for this confirmation AND to check the Event Schedule to ensure your booking is posted properly.

What's the difference between a “Private” and “Reserved” booking?
There are two different types of bookings or events: “Private” and “Reserved”. A “Private” event confirms room availability and provides you with exclusive use of the room. Other members will not be allowed to “drop-in” during your event. A “Reserved” event is when you only need to confirm room availability. Room availability is guaranteed since your “Reserved” booking prevents other members from booking the room “Private”. But the “Reserved” designation means you do not object to sharing the room with other members (in fact you may welcome it).

About setting a “start” and “end” time
Always include time for “clean up” and “set-up” when you book. Realize that another member may have looked at the Tasting Room schedule and made plans to drop in at exactly the time you said your event would end. Although they have every right to enter the room and start using it, it can be a little uncomfortable for all concerned if you're event is still in full swing or you're just starting to clean up - particularly if either group is very large. As such, we recommend you over-estimate the “end time” for your event (slightly, please don't go overboard).

What is the VIP Cellar Tour?
With advanced notice, and subject to availability, the CellarMaster will arrive to give your guests a full guided tour of the cellar. Although members usually take their guests on their own cellar tours, the Cellarmaster can take your guests “behind the scenes”. Show your guests things you can't access including: the climate control room, the security room vault, the fogger in action (if not already on), examples of our Private Wine Lockers, and a peak inside one of our stunning Custodial Cellaring units. We can also answer any questions your guests might have about our rates and services, and storing/caring for their wines in general. The full guided tour takes about 20-30 minutes (depending on interest level and number of questions asked). But it can be tailored up or down to meet your specific needs. If interested, please provide details in your reservation including tour length and at what time you would like it to start. We will get back to you to confirm availability. There is no charge for this service.

What is the Clean Up Service?
Members are required to clean up after themselves and generally happy to do so. However, if you would prefer to just “get up and go”, you may request our cleaning service. Please note, advanced notice (at least 24 hours) is always required and the service subject to availability. The service costs $35 per hour with a $50 minimum. It rarely goes above the minimum unless more than one dishwasher load is required (e.g. you're serving a multiple course meal for a large group or using more than about 60 pieces of stemware). Clean up service requests made with less than 24 hours notice will be subject to a $50 premium and may lead to suspension of Tasting Room privileges.