Attending tastings is a great way to experience a variety of wines without having to purchase them. If you choose to buy a bottle, you can be sure that you will like it - which makes far more sense than risking an untried purchase.
If you’re touring a vineyard or winery, you’ll usually be offered a glass or two of wine at the end of the tour. Other tastings are held by wine merchants or retailers, and they can take either an informal approach -opening one or two bottles for keen customers - or they may be more formal events, perhaps held out of normal working hours, or as a sales promotion for a particular wine.