Our Family and Team

Stephen Mitchell

steve@sprucewoodshores.com
(519) 817-6189

Stephen handles the Sales & Marketing of Sprucewood, and manages the winery’s facilities, equipment, and grounds.

Stephen began his working career with a BSc Mechanical Engineering and spent 10 years as an engineer in the automotive industry.  He spent an additional 2 years working in sales outside the winery to develop a new skill set.  In 2009, Stephen began working full time for the winery and became president in 2011.

In 2015 he general contracted the building of our new 5,000 sq ft events hall, following in his father’s footsteps who built our original winery retail and process building.

“Sprucewood Shores is the culmination of my family’s dream of a business we built together.   It’s been rewarding to me having my siblings as business partners and has made it easy to keep close.  Our past 12 years have been a success of time & effort, and I enjoy every day building the future of Sprucewood Shores.”

Tanya Mitchell

tanya@sprucewoodshores.com
(519) 965-1293

Tanya Mitchell has been the Winemaker since its inception as a Winery in 2004, shortly after attaining a degree in Chemical Engineering at McMaster University and garnering experience making wine around the world.

Tanya’s winemaking philosophy has developed in to one that is strongly influenced by her technical and experience based background and an understanding that wine is an artistic expression. Her focus is on delivering a balance of minerality, acidity, fruit, and finesse in her wines.  Tanya strives to always produce a quality driven and versatile list of wines that suit a range of tastes.

Not only does Tanya work on making her tasty wines, but she loves and participates in every other aspect about the Winery.

Please feel free to email Tanya if you have any comments or questions.

Jake Mitchell

jake@sprucewoodshores.com
(519) 995-4774

Jake Mitchell has helped grow the business with his family since 2004. Shortly after completing his post-secondary studies in multimedia, he began crafting the company logo, wine labels and advertising.

Utilizing his personal interest in programming, he also developed the IT infrastructure of the business – from the point of sale to the website – while also handling retail sales during the formative years.

Melissa Krech

melissa@sprucewoodshores.com
(226) 935-7484

Melissa Krech joined our family in November of 2016 as an event and wedding coordinator.  Our couples just love working with Melissa, she makes the process so much fun! Not only does she know how to throw a great party, she herself is a past Sprucewood bride.   Prior to being a coordinator and event planner, Melissa was in fact an accountant.  She is able to apply her business knowledge to her wedding and event files and ensures that couples stay in line with their budgets.  She is a full wedding and event planning package from top to bottom, covering everything from financial to decor. 

Melanie Mason

melanie@sprucewoodshores.com

519 738 9253

It is my personal goal to make you feel comfortable, happy and satisfied as you experience this beautiful winery. I want you to feel better leaving the winery than when you arrived.  

I recently moved to the Windsor Essex region from Vancouver, BC where I worked in the sales and tourism industry.  Although I miss the mountains, I love being able to work in such a beautiful location right on the lake. Having 2 bald eagles next door as neighbors is a bonus too!  I have enjoyed meeting the locals at the winery as well as travellers from all over.

I look forward to getting to know you and…. I highly recommend the Cabernet Sauvignon!

Dave McNair

dave@sprucewoodshores.com

(519) 980- 5129

Dave is our onsite wine expert, always ready to share his indepth knowledge on our products and the wines of the world.  You can catch Dave at tastings all over Essex County and our store front every weekend.

Gordon and Hannah Mitchell

Gord Mitchell January 29, 1945 – November 6, 2011

Hannah Mitchell February 9, 1950 – December 22, 2012

Sprucewood Shores Estate Winery would not be here if it were not for the vision and hard work that Gord and Hannah Mitchell put in to this Winery. Starting with the planning, planting and maintaining of 35 acres of vineyards, Gord set his sights for something bigger. After designing, contracting, and building the property’s buildings and landscaping himself, he had the chance to work alongside his children and employees in creating a fulfilling product and experience for every customer. Gord was one of those guys that anyone could talk to, and he welcomed every one in the door with a big smile and a long story. Here are a few words from the Winery’s great visionary:

“I was born on a dairy and cash-crop farm in Woodslee, ON (Essex County). The farm – a Queen Victoria Land Grant, had been in the family since 1853 when a German immigrant John Michel (my great-grandfather) cleared and planted the land. My father Charles purchased additional farms and contracted others until the operation grew to over 850 acres.

In the early years on the farm, a number of local neighbours had small vineyards of Labrusca, and Table Grape vines. I became fascinated with these vineyards and how the farmers made their wines. I have never lost those images formed as a child.

I continued to farm until graduation from U of Windsor, with a B.A. in Mathematics, at which time I became employed by Chrysler Corporation. Hannah and I purchased our own 52 acres in October of 1975 and in between careers and raising a family in Cambridge and later Pickering, we managed to maintain and eventually convert the farm to a vineyard. Living out of the hometown area as we did, we could not have done it without the help of dedicated employees…my brother Art Mitchell, his boys and Abe Krahn and his family.

After a successful 33-year career at Chrysler spanning Manufacturing Engineering, Personnel and later Production and Plant Management, I retired to design and build the winery. Since 2003 I’ve worked to bring that dream to life. Designing, managing contractors, and using my own hands to build this venture was no small feat. It’s so far been a labour of love.”

With every dreamer there is a go-getter, and this team would not have been complete had Hannah not been there to see the vision through. Hannah raised the 4 children and took care of the financials for Sprucewood Shores Winery, all while still juggling her software business – Systematics. She helped Gord with the planning and preparation of the buildings, from the designs of the building to most significantly the landscape of the surrounding property. Her background in finance and computer software design gave the Winery a leg up on business planning and execution. She was the main inspiration behind the development of our very successful weddings at Sprucewood Shores.

“I’ve been a plant lover and gardener since the childhood days on my maternal Grandfather’s olive and grape farm in Tourza North Lebanon. His name was Joseph Mikhail; my maiden name is Raheb. Both families are now well entrenched in the Windsor and Leamington areas.

With this background, it was a cinch I’d be supportive of my husbands dreams to build a vineyard and winery. Although never easy, chasing our dreams has been full of excitement to say the least.

Since graduating from the U of Windsor (Honours Math and Computer Science), I have worked in the Computer Industry while managing a household of four children of which we are extremely proud. They are all involved in the business in different capacities. The last 10 years prior to building the winery, were spent running my own IT business in the Toronto area. This experience prepared me to deal with the computer, financial and accounting side of the winery business. My responsibility is to control the cash side of the equation, and in this capacity I needed to develop or integrate the software and databases required for the point of sale, inventory, contact management and accounting work.

This has not been easy since in the middle of the construction (September 2004) I developed leukemia. The fight for survival over the first 3.5 years had been grueling but I am well on my way to a full recovery!”