Etiquette at Tasting Events

So I go to a good number of tasting events each year..public, private and industry...and by far, I enjoy private/industry tastings a lot more...

Why?  Because the place isn't filled with people who are there trying to get drunk and don't know how to behave..

I actually don't mind that people are trying to get pissed drunk..it is that along with wanting to get drunk, they just have no idea how to behave.

IT IS NOT A BAR/PUB OR A CLUB.

You don't go up to a table with your friends, get some wine, and proceed to stand there, in front of the table, gabbing with your friends...

You get your pour of wine and you move away from the table so that other people can get through...or in the least, if you see people around you and you've had your pour, MOVE OUT OF THE WAY.

There are plenty of people that are well behaved and do this..in fact, a majority of people at these events don't stand in front of the table and talk away....they move when they notice people are around you....Granted, sometimes you are waiting behind others which means it is perfectly acceptable to be standing there..but once you have your pour...MOVE.

THIS ALSO APPLIES TO THE SPITTOON..Don't stand there in front of it and block people...I don't know if people really realize what it is for...and plenty of people give you funny looks when you actually spit in the spittoon...as if the person spitting is ignorant..funny how that works..

It seems rather intuitive you should do this...I don't think anyone ever told me or the other 80% of the people to do that...I really don't understand it at all.  I've heard this same complaint over and over from other people both industry and wine geeks alike...as well as some non wine geek people....Am I being a snob?  I don't think so...