Making your cellar door appeal to a broader audience…

 Once upon a time I would have been part of the collective who cringed at the idea of mixing children with cellar doors. Surely it’s only the cashed-up couples or retirees that you want through your cellar door to taste in tranquility?

If that’s what you’re thinking, it’s time to reconsider, as a large amount of people visiting wine regions across the country are families with young children – and they’re ready to take on everything your winery has to offer, including buying wines. If they have travelled a long way, the experience is certainly more memorable when the children are welcomed and there’s something to help entertain them. So not surprisingly, it’s the wineries that are catering for all different types of visitors that are reaping the rewards.

There are countless examples of wineries who know how to look after every member of the family– Logan Wines in Mudgee, Scarborough Wines in the Hunter Valley, Yering Station in the Yarra Valley and Laurance Wines in Margaret River are just a few that spring to mind. It’s not the primary business focus, of course, but it’s more about ensuring the experience at cellar door caters for diverse groups, keeping younger visitors entertained so you can focus on telling your stories and taking customers through your wines.

Interested? Here are a few ideas to make your cellar door more family friendly:

• Offer non-alcoholic drinks to the children – sounds simple but juice or even small bottles of water for the kids go a long way.
• Designated drivers in the group may also appreciate water or a coffee or tea before you take the winetasters through your range.
• Thought about purchasing custom-made kids goodie bags? Many pubs and restaurants (particularly overseas) have discovered the benefit of Busy Nippers Bags – check out www.busynippers.com.au and check out their affordable range of colouring bags which my children continue to love every time they are given one.
• Stock up on wine books targeted at children – George the Clever Grape by Peter Healy or My Dad has Purple Hands by Wayne Dutschke are great examples. But raiding through your old kids book collections can also do the trick.
• Why not place a toy box in the corner of the room to pull out when kids arrive? Ask parents that work in your business – I’m sure you’ll find a few ready to hand over old toys.
• Do you have the space for outdoor furniture or play equipment? Commercial-grade play equipment can be quite affordable and keep the children entertained outside.
• This idea is more dependent on your budget but if it allows, think about having a tablet device/iPad with games that the kids can play – there are ways to secure these to prevent theft and can guarantee the kids will be mesmorised in minutes (have you ever been to an Apple store and seen how the kids flock to the ipads?).

Regardless of their age, if the kids are occupied then the parents have more time to enjoy the wines, learn about your winery story and will then be more inclined to purchase. It makes sense for everyone!

Been to a cellar door lately that catered for families? Or are you a cellar door that has a unique experience for children? Love to hear about it in the comments below so we can be sure to visit and spread the word on our next wine region adventure.

Best Cellar Door in Australia? You betcha!

Outclassing more than 1700* cellar doors in Australia, Logan Wines in Mudgee recently won the title of Gourmet Traveller’s Best Cellar Door Experience, which is no mean feat considering the amazing cellar doors stationed all over our fabulous wine-producing country.

And having spent a good few hours at Logan’s  cellar door over Easter, it became very clear why it was given such a prestigious award. There are few wineries who know how to look after their customers and give the whole family a remarkable experience.

Logan Wines is a family-owned and family-operated winery. Winemaker Peter Logan makes the wines and his wife Hannah runs the business. Peter came to his winemaking career after a short stint as a process chemist – a backpacking trip through Europe confirmed his niggling instinct that winemaking was the industry for him and the rest is history.

The cellar door features an amazing glass-walled gallery that captures stunning views over Apple Tree Flat and features one of the most considered cellar door designs in the country, but for us, it was the whole experience at the cellar door that made our visit so memorable.

Designated drivers are catered for with great coffee, the kids were given fruit drinks to keep them occupied as soon as they walked in and, most importantly, the entire range of wines was superb and truly represented the best that the regions of Mudgee and Orange have to offer.

When we visited it was Easter weekend, and thankfully, there was plenty to keep the kids occupied while we tasted our way through the range. Blackboards on the hillside and calico tents to draw on were a hit – the kids happily played chasings in and out of the tents and created masterpieces on the blackboards. This is hands down the best cellar door we’ve visited with the kids – we had to drag them out of there in tears because they were having so much fun.

There’s no formal restaurant but tasting plates, cheese platters and a selection of cakes were available for visitors.

WINES TO TRY

Logan produces four ranges of wine – Apple Tree Flat, Weemala, Logan and a new range called Ridge of Tears. There’s something for everyone. We walked out of the winery armed with a range of great wines to take home (and ready to share with friends at the end of the trip!), including:

• Logan Vintage “M” Cuvee – made in the traditional Champagne method, and named after Peter’s late father, Malcolm.
• 2012 Weemala Riesling – it’s easy to see why this topped the list at the recent Summer of Riesling tastings in Sydney.
• 2012 Weemala Shiraz Viognier – the interesting red and white grape blend.
• 2010 Ridge of Tears Orange Shiraz – a delightful wine but seriously has one of the coolest and most memorable wine labels I’ve seen, depicting an aging Peter Logan in an illustration format.

Unfortunately the cellar door had sold out of one of my absolute favourites, the 2012 Hannah Rose, a blend of Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir and Shiraz, but it may be back in stock when you visit, so be sure to stock up!

If you’re heading to Mudgee, this is a fantastic place to visit. It will certainly be an experience our family will remember for years to come – well done to the whole Logan team!

Find Logan Wines at:

Castlereagh Highway, Apple Tree Flat, Mudgee NSW 2850,

ph 02 6373 1390,

www.loganwines.com.au

* Cellar door numbers sourced from 2012 Australian and New Zealand Wine Industry Directory.

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