The Heathcote Wine Club – For Heathcote Wine Fans

Loyal fans and customers have long been waiting for this moment – The formation of a club that combines all things Heathcote Wines. With over 100 wineries spread out in the region, it’s not always easy for wine lovers, especially the ones who live in Melbourne, to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in Heathcote and to get their hands on the special wines before they are gone. Part of the problem is that the success and quality of Heathcote wines is built on individual wine making on a smaller scale, which inevitably brings with it limited production. Small boutique wineries also mean irregular open cellar doors. That’s why for many years loyal Heathcote Wine lovers often had difficulties getting hold of the good stuff before it was gone.

A creative solution has now been put together. The newly founded Heathcote Wine Club works with all the wine makers in the region and is designed specifically to reward loyal Heathcote fans and provide them with all the privileges that come only with membership. Some of the highlights include member only special tastings with Heathcote winemakers, invites to wine blending sessions, working winery tours, access to a member only Wine Hotline, and invites to member only educational classes including food matching and lots of other free stuff.

The Heathcote Wine Club is very different to most other clubs. Supported and run by the Wine Hub, the club represents all the winemakers of the region. It’s mission? To provide a single point of access to all the great aspects of the Heathcote wine region. The Wine Hub specialists know most of Heathcote’s winemakers personally and will generously share with you valuable tips and insider information on Heathcote.

So what does membership include?

This club is much more than just being able to get your hands on great wine. The Heathcote Wine Club has really gone out of its way to come up with a program that is different, and includes a lot of innovative and fun educational experiences and events. There are 2 levels of membership: Discovery Members and Privilege Members, which are both free to join.

As the name suggests, the Discovery Plan is the introductory membership for people that love Heathcote wine, want to know more about it and would like easy access to information and some of the pre-release member only deals.

Discovery Membership entails:

• Member discounts on all wine purchases (10% for doz, 5% for ½ doz)
• VIP invite at the Heathcote Wine Club’s wine experience sessions in Heathcote and Melbourne, including themed tasting evenings with winemakers, new release tastings and educational tasting events
• VIP Invite to "Be a winemaker for a day" blending session
• Priority invite to wine maker dinners in Melbourne
• Access to the Heathcote Wine Club member’s only Wine Hotline, where all your wine related questions (cellaring, food matching, vintage info) will be answered
• Regular newsletter with the latest news of the region, including new wine releases, awards and other interesting highlights

In addition to the advantages of the Discovery Membership, as a Privilege Member you will also receive:

• a case of twelve notable wines delivered to your door, 4 times a year. This wine is offered at a member only price of 15% below retail. A panel of Heathcote winemakers and the Heathcote Wine Hub sommeliers carefully select the wines. To make sure you receive your favourite gems, you also have the opportunity to change the selected wines prior to delivery, and there’s a 100% money back guarantee on the wines.
• In depth tasting notes on all wines selected by the tasting panel for inclusion in the wine packs.
• Member discounts on any purchases above the wine Plan (15% for doz, 10% for ½ doz) VIP invite and complimentary entrance to the Heathcote Wine Club’s wine experience sessions in Heathcote and Melbourne, including themed tasting evenings with winemakers, new release tastings and educational tasting events
• VIP Invite and complimentary to "Be a winemaker for a day" blending session
• Free copy of the book "The People Behind the Wines of Heathcote"
• Free working winery tours (during vintage) for you and friends

There are also a number of Privilege member only special offers that will evolve further over time. At present they include

• Member only discount of 30% off non-Heathcote wine on www.MyHomeCellar.com.au.
• Permission to BYO wine bought at the Heathcote Wine Hub to Heathcote’s No.1 restaurant – the Willow Room
• 10% discount on any purchases (wine produce, food accessories) made at the Heathcote Wine Hub.
• Discounts of 20% on any Plumm Chrystal Glassware and decanters
• Free copies of James Halliday’s Wine Companion Magazine included in wine plan deliveries
• Pre-release notification/allocation of limited release premium wines
• 25 gift voucher for in store product purchases.

From the enthusiasm and energy of the winemakers and staff at the Hub, I can sense that the club is going to continually evolve, driven by their understanding of the wines and people of the region and their passion to share it with others in a fun and educational way. If you like Heathcote then you need to be part of the Heathcote Wine Club.

You can email Steve at steve@heathcotewinehub.com.au for further information, or visit www.heathcotewinehub.com.au, and look out for announcements of the Heathcote Wine Club’s launch in coming weeks.

Author is prominent writer of various blogs based on the tips related to wine business. Presently, she is writing about Heathcote Wine Club.

Celina Brown is in the profession of wine business.Presently, she is writing about Heathcote Wine Hub