From the moment they receive their hand-written welcome note and carefully chosen selection of well-loved reds and whites, it’s clear to new members of the Meyer Family Vineyard wine club that they’re getting more than a tasting experience.
“Our wine club is an extension of the Meyer family,” said Monica Horning, wine club coordinator, noting that Jak Meyer and Janice Stevens-Meyer take pride in sending a personal token of welcome.
Three times a year —February, June and November—club members are shipped a selection of new releases or limited-availability wines. And as their taste buds are tantalized by reds and whites that are fast gaining the attention of industry heavyweights, they glean insider knowledge about the ins and outs of the winery.
“Consumers really get to be the first to know what’s going on when they’re members of the wine club,” Horning said.
Awareness of MFV wines is growing quickly, however, and they fully expect that many wines will only be available to wine club members in the near future.
Those same members also get discounts on the winery’s tasting events, where they get the bonus of speaking with fellow connoisseurs who want to discuss their shared expertise.
MFV released their Micro Cuvee Pinot Noir and their Micro Cuvee Chardonnay to club members at the beginning of May and at an event that followed, those who had first sip converged to imbibe and forge bonds with fellow oenophiles as well as Meyer clan. Both these wines were just reviewed with an amazing 92 points by Beppi Crosariol in The Globe and Mail this May.
That openness, in addition to tantalizing wines is what sets MFV apart from their contemporaries, she said. Being a part of the wine club is like an invitation to join the family.
~ Kathy Michaels