We hear a good deal these days about the success of club-within-a-club programs at private clubs. The wine program at the Country Club of St. Albans, located just outside St. Louis, is an excellent example of how these small groups of like-minded members who share a common interest can grow into an important dimension of club life.
St. Albans began its wine program in 2007 with a tight knot of members who enjoyed wine and therefore came together to share that passion, learning from one another and enjoying the fruit of the vine. Fast-forward to 2015 and you’ll find more than 200 individuals from a wide range of backgrounds participating in this program.
Wine novices mingle together with sophisticated oenophiles; established members clink their wine glasses with new folks just coming on board. Indeed, among the many dividends yielded by this program is that it has served as a great platform for showcasing the benefits of club membership—not only attracting new members, but also integrating them into the social fabric of the club in a relatively quick and easy manner.
Here’s how it works: A modest annual fee will gain members entree into monthly wine tastings. Between two to five wine vendors will set up tasting stations and the chef and his staff will provide a suitable food complement. Individuals and groups will move from station-to-station or settle in at a table to enjoy the wine, the company and the attractive club vistas. The mingling, swirling, sniffing and quaffing quickly develop their own momentum and the hum of amiable sociability sets in. The entire affair typically runs for a couple hours. In season, the event can easily move outside to a scenic club spot.
Many members will place wine orders at a discounted price charged to their accounts—and the wine is delivered to their wine locker. An updated wine list will be ready at the member’s next dining occasion.
David Derfel, St. Albans’ GM, put it succinctly saying, “Our wine program works really well.” He outlines the program and its benefits to potential members and finds that at present about three out of four new members make plans to become a part of the program. And from Derfel’s perspective it’s an excellent choice as it not only provides great value to their membership, but it also quickly orients them to club life and introduces them to many other members and their families in a relaxed and informal manner.
The wine program at St. Albans is growing—almost faster than it can keep up. All the physical wine lockers were taken some time ago and have now had to be augmented by “virtual” ones, in which the club keeps track of the members’ wine inventory on its premises. This should be remedied in the near future as the club plans renovations and expansions that will further bolster the wine program, including a new state-of-the-art wine room in its recently renovated golfers’ lounge and wine bar.
Each November, the club enhances its wine tasting events with a larger club event—a wine dinner—that includes a featured guest or speaker who also shares a passion for wine. Past events have included such well-known personalities as Dick Vermeil (Super Bowl-winning coach and winemaker), and such notable winemakers as Jason Fisher of Liparita and Hoopes and Suzanne Groth of Groth Vineyards.
Not to be overlooked in all this, of course, is the actual interest in wine (and its pairing with food) that the program has cultivated. The program will likely continue to grow and deepen member interest in various types of wines, wine regions and winemaking traditions.
The Country Club of St. Albans has admirably wrapped together member interests with programing that has proven its capacity to boost both participation and engagement. This, in turn, drives satisfaction with club membership and a keen sense of the value of club life. We’ll drink to that!
Club Trends Fall 2015