In a year packed with 20th Anniversary celebrations it seems reasonable to step back and ask just what it is that makes Tinhorn Creek Vineyards one of the best known and best loved wineries in the country. Great wine? Well, that’s a given, isn’t it? With Sandra Oldfield at the helm we have long since taken quality for granted. Great people? You bet. Talk to folks throughout the winery and you will hear, time and again, that Tinhorn Creek is a family of people with genuine respect and affection for one another.
Great customer service? You bet. From the tasting room to Miradoro Restaurant to the incredibly popular Crush Club, customers are treated like an extension of the aforementioned family. It started out simply enough, with the 1998 vintage, as the Merlot Futures Club, an opportunity to pre-purchase Sandra’s consistently outstanding Merlot wines. Today, the Crush Club is very likely Canada’s biggest, and members agree it is also one of the very best, wine clubs.
“We provide more than just shipments of wine,” says Crush Club co-ordinator Terry Meyer-Stone. “Crush Club is very people friendly, providing added value to members.” Added value like VIP treatment at events in Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton, benefits at Miradoro Restaurant and other businesses in the area or invitations to member-only events like the annual Pick-Up Party, which attracts about 500 people.
“Sandra is really invested in the Club, and she is supportive and very involved,” Terry says.
A new innovation that isn’t restricted to members is webinars, broadcast on the Internet on the second Tuesday of each month. Produced right in Sandra Oldfield’s kitchen! Check the website for complete details.
www.tinhorncreek.com
~ Lorne Eckersley