Penny Dreadful!
My friends and I went to Penny Winery as part of the Spring Affair. Unfortunately, this Winery was the first stop for the day (bad start). When we got there, we were really disappointed with how unprepared this Winery was for hundreds of people. Firstly, they had ONE wine booth only. 150 people immediately lined up, and there was no way that I was waiting in line (in the rain) behind 150 people for a glass of wine. There were nowhere near enough tables and chairs, so we had to just stand in a bare paddock with no wine and no seat. The forecast of the cold day was known for over a week; yet there were no heaters, no rugs, and no undercover tents prepared for customers. There was a photo booth van available but you had to pay for your photo to be taken. We had already spent $70 on the ticket and with the amount that they were charging for wine (e.g. double the price that Cellar Door charges for their wine) we expected at least some free entertainment. Everyone we met at Penny Winery hated being there and wanted to leave. We actually heard women in the portaloo toilets saying they wanted to stay in the toilets for the remaining hour because it was warmer and more entertaining. 30 minutes in, we asked to leave but weren't allowed to leave the paddock. We weren't allowed to go inside the Winery and do any wine tasting. We were told if we went to the bus to wait, our ticket for the rest of the Wineries would be voided. I don't understand how I was able to spend money at this place. It was uncomfortable, no wine tasting, and the only place to buy a glass of wine had 150 people lined up. It was the only Winery I have ever been to where I have not actually spent any money. We ended up getting permission from the girl in charge to leave, and we waited on the bus for 40 minutes until we got to leave the premises. After this Winery, everyone celebrated when we got to leave for Paxton. Paxton was very prepared. Paxton had lots of food, lots of access to purchase wine (therefore shorter lines), cheaper wine, 2 x DJ's, a dance floor with loud music and heaps of people dancing, many undercover areas, free photos etc. The vibe of Paxton was amazing. We had left a freezing, uncomfortable and boring paddock at Pennys Winery for a warm and fun Paxton Winery with good vibes. Everyone at Paxton was saying that their biggest regret was not leaving Penny earlier. And we felt bad for anyone who had to end their day at Penny. Our last Winery was Coriole Winery which was also amazing. They had a tent prepared for an undercover dance floor, heaps of food and wine, live music etc. Both Paxton and Coriole Wineries showed how unprepared Penny was. Wineries cannot help the Weather, but they can help how prepared they are to ensure that their customers are comfortable, or at the very least entertained. Paxton and Coriole proved that this is not a hard task to do. They used their profits for the day wisely and as a result, we spent a lot of money at their Wineries. Happy + comfortable = $. I hope that next time if Penny absolutely has to participate in the Spring Affair that they are better prepared. read more