Wine Works Cranbrook and Kimberley are excited to be under the new ownership of Meaghan Skerik. Say hello to Meaghan! Here’s her welcome message:
Hello! I am Meaghan, and I am very excited to introduce myself as the new owner of Wine Works. These twin stores are one fantastic business, and I'm grateful to Grady, Brenda, Nola, Heather, Pamela, and all those who came before them for their dedication and hard work. I'm looking forward to being part of such a strong team that contributes to two vibrant communities.
A little about me. I was born and raised in Cranbrook; where I spent 19 years living the Kootenay life. Summers were spent hiking (look for my first signature in the Lakit Lookout logbook in 1985), canoeing, and camping, with many a day passed in the waters of Moyie Lake. Winters were spent skiing in Kimberley, practicing piano, and playing hockey in almost every arena in the area, with many chilly morning practices in the Marysville Arena. I left Cranbrook for university and my first career as a lighting technician in professional theatre. Somehow living in the flat lands of Alberta never quite felt like home and the mountains kept calling. It took another 19 years (and a much bigger truck) to move back across that border. Since I have returned I've watched the sunset on St. Mary's Lake, hiked the Wycliffe Buttes, biked Mark Creek Trail and Rails to Trails, kayaked Jim Smith Lake, and picked huckleberries (in a secret location)! Yes, this is home.
I worked behind the scenes in theatre and that's probably where you're going to find me in Wine Works as well. Don’t worry, you'll still see Heather and Brenda's smiling faces when you come in, continuing the amazing service you've come to expect. I'll be the one you haven't met yet, learning how the bottle washer works and where extra corks are stored. I'm already hearing requests for ciders and beer, so stay tuned, I'll be looking into possible expansion options for the future.
In addition to the incredible staff, we'll still have all the wines you've come to know and love too. I've spent the last six years immersing myself in my love for home winemaking and am thrilled to find the stores carry several varieties I haven’t tried yet. My current favourite is our Amarone Style from Veneto, Italy. Although in the summer, it's sure nice to cool off with a nice Pinot Grigio. This time of year, I like to experiment with fruit wines as well. My homemade raspberry wine is inspired by my Grandpa Wes, who dedicated half his basement to winemaking. I think he'd be pretty happy to see me surrounded by all this wine now.
Thanks to Grady for welcoming me into Wine Works. Your guidance into the UVin business world has been invaluable. Best wishes to you, Corissa, and your girls; let's all raise a glass to your future.
I look forward to meeting all of the extended Wine Works family over the next days, weeks and months. Gathering is complicated right now, but I'm sure we will still get to know each other and when we do, we will have wine to share. See you soon! Cheers!
