For almost three decades, Thomas Wines has been a quiet powerhouse of the Hunter Valley wine scene. Founded in 1997, the winery was built on an uncompromising vision to produce top-shelf expressions of the Hunter Valley’s two signature varieties, Semillon and Shiraz.
Nearly thirty years on, that focus remains unchanged, with brothers Andrew and Dan Thomas continuing to champion wines that reflect both place and patience.
The majority of Thomas Wines’ fruit is grown locally in the Hunter Valley, reinforcing a deep connection to the region and its winemaking traditions.
As wine tourism takes over parts of the world, so has the cellar door experience here at Thomas Wines. Tastings are no longer just a quick stop; they’re a key touchpoint for brand loyalty and long-term customer relationships. And it shows in the way their team of knowledgeable wine enthusiasts welcome guests.
We spoke with Sales & Marketing Manager Leesa Mealing about how the venue has elevated their cellar experience over time, and the role Now Book It played in optimising their booking operations.
Balancing premium experiences with practical challenges
Like many cellar doors, Thomas Wines operates in a space where hospitality meets retail, education and tourism.
Their offering includes three core tasting experiences, each with different durations, inclusions and price points. Managing those variations effectively is critical, particularly on busy weekends when casual staff are rostered on and guest expectations are high.
Before switching to Now Book It, the team found themselves limited by their previous booking system. Advance bookings were restricted, making it difficult to capture future demand, particularly from interstate or international visitors planning trips well ahead of time.
On top of that, the old system struggled to handle varying tasting lengths, which often led to manual workarounds and added floor plan complexities.
Staff training was another major pain point. The previous platform was technical and required a high level of system knowledge, which isn’t always realistic in a hospitality environment.
“It was quite technical and really needed expert-level knowledge to manage properly, that’s tough when you’ve got casual staff on weekends, their focus should be on customers, not fussing with a booking system,” said Leesa.
Large group bookings were another challenge. With limited flexibility and visibility, the team often avoided group tastings altogether, despite knowing the revenue potential.
A simpler, smarter solution in Now Book It
Switching to Now Book It was a turning point for Thomas Wines. Almost immediately, the team gained greater control over their booking window, service structure and daily capacity. The ability to take bookings far further in advance meant they could now capture demand they previously missed—particularly from guests planning winery visits weeks or even months ahead.
One of the notable changes was the ability to clearly define and manage different tasting experiences within the one system. Each service, from standard cellar door tastings to members-only and premium ‘Savour’ tastings, could be set up with its own duration, capacity and pricing. This removed guesswork for both guests and staff, creating a smoother experience on both sides of the bar.
“Through the use of different services, we can offer guests multiple tasting options all within the one system, It’s made a huge difference to how organised and prepared we feel day to day.”
Now Book It’s intuitive interface also meant staff training became faster and far less stressful. New team members could pick up the system quickly, reducing reliance on senior staff and minimising mistakes during busy services. Importantly, walk-ins could be easily added to the system, giving the team complete visibility over daily covers and performance.
“It’s just a much more user-friendly system overall, we can drop walk-ins straight into the system and then look back and see exactly how many covers we had on any given day,” explained Leesa.
Since implementing Now Book It, Thomas Wines has seen a noticeable increase in forward bookings. They’ve also found it easier to accept larger group tastings, a revenue stream they previously avoided. The operational clarity has allowed the team to plan staffing, prepare tasting notes and manage inventory more effectively, saving hours of admin each week.
Turning bookings into better experiences
Operational efficiency, check. On to guest experiences. With Now Book It, Thomas Wines is able to leverage smarter use of booking options and pre-payments.
Guests can now pre-book tastings at different levels, each with clearly defined pricing and inclusions. This transparency sets expectations upfront and ensures guests arrive informed and ready to enjoy the experience.
Pre-paid tastings have also reduced no-shows and last-minute cancellations, giving the team greater certainty around numbers and revenue. Pricing and tasting options can be adjusted day to day. This ensures flexibility for seasonal demand, special releases or quieter trading periods.
“Being able to offer different tasting levels at different prices, and have guests pre-pay, has helped us so much day to day. We’re better prepared for groups arriving and can really tailor the experience.”
Now Book It also allows the team to clearly see how group bookings fit into the day’s flow, ensuring they don’t overwhelm the cellar door or compromise the experience for other guests. This visibility has unlocked new revenue without sacrificing quality.
“We’re finding it much easier to manage large group bookings now, which is something we’d avoided in the past, having that confidence has completely changed how we approach them,” said Leesa.
At the same time, the increase in advance bookings has smoothed out demand and given the team more control over how each day unfolds. Instead of reacting, they can plan, and that shows in the quality of service delivered.
For Thomas Wines, the biggest value of Now Book It is in how seamlessly the system fits into their operation. In an environment where high staff turnover is common and weekends are busiest, having a booking platform that’s intuitive, flexible and reliable makes a visible difference.
“It just works for us, our team feels confident using it, our guests find it easy to book, and it supports the kind of premium but relaxed experience we want to deliver.”
By removing complexity, improving visibility and enabling smarter service design, Now Book It has become an integral part of how Thomas Wines operates its cellar door.
Now Book It tip: When at the cellar door, take a seat at the bar. You will get so much more face time with the wine-pros at Thomas Wines.
