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Starting a Winery

southernexteriors

19 years ago

For the last 10 years I have been drawn to start a Winery and I don't know why. It's one of those things that everytime you turn around you see something Wine related.

There is a piece of land nearby me that would be great for a Winery. Since the first time I looked at this property, I saw a Vineyard that wasn't there.

How do I shake this vision or get started doing it?

Thanks to all

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Comments (8)

tressa
19 years ago
Where are you located?? I say GET STARTED....you only live once......
svanessa
19 years ago
It's expensive to get started! We had 18.5 acres we were thinking about converting to a vineyard. It was going to cost $1.5 million to install the trellisses and procure and plant the grape vines. Needless to say the land is still idle.
Sue
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Thanks again to everyone for taking time to stop by and read my post. I have decided that rather than post a new thread each time, I will just try to keep this one going for a while. So I went to take a look at digital cameras last weekend (Yes I am STILL looking for a camera! You'd think I was buying a house! LOL) and while I am exiting the parking lot of the camera store I happen to glance across the street and spot a sign that says winery. Now mind you, I dont shop often in this area but have lived close by most of my life. Never had I heard of or noticed this place before. It was located in a small shopping center and looked a little more like a liquor store than a winery. I passed it up, went shopping at another store and decided to drop back by. Walking through the door I thought, simple and comfortable. The wines were displayed nicely in wooden racks along the walls and on shelves and tables throughout the room. I was greeted by Rick, the owner, who was standing behind a large bar in the middle of the room. I asked how long they had been open and he informed me since around the beginning of the year. He asked me what brings me in today, I laugh, why tasting, silly. So I grab a seat at the bar and off we go! After explaing that I prefer sweets but would like to try the most popular dry also, we begin my tour. Rick explains that they get their grape juice from different parts of the world. Vitner's Cellar Custom Winery is a make your own wine store. A fast growing franchise here in the north. Make your own wine was a new idea to me, but I liked the thought. They make a variety of wines at the store and they also sell make your own wine by the batch. I treid several wines but was most impressed by their port. They call it "Perle Noir", a sweet red wine. It was the wine I liked the best there. I think in a couple of years they may produce some really great wines there. My friends and I would like to try to make a batch of wine sometime soon. I will let everyone know how that goes! Thanks again for taking time to read. Here is a link that might be useful: vitnerwinery
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rockguy
18 years ago
I say, it all starts with that first vine. Select a wine grape that will do well in your area. Plant one, two or forty now. The rest you can get from cuttings from these "mothers".
PS. Learn to turn a deaf ear to nay-sayers!
bonjo
18 years ago
First, go dig up a few gallon bags of dirt from different areas on the property. Send to nearest ag lab to test the soil! I live in wine country, and work at a lab. Almost all vitners who are considering buying vineyard property do this. We just did a very large batch which the soil was very very high in a substance. Not good news. If it turnes out well, buy the property and just go for it. Right now we are planting a hill side with Barbera and Dolcetto. Talk to growers in your area and pick a variety that will thrive in your climate. Start small and plug away!
fancifowl
18 years ago
Some small wineries begin by buying juice from larger vineyards, even some of the larger ones continue to purchase some juices/grapes. A new winery just opened near here with only a few hundred gallon start up. Pennsylvania is a real growth area for wineries, many quite small and all get help from establised wineries.
weird20grapevines
18 years ago
My parents and I have an organic vineyard and are in our second year... we started by researching the type of grapes we wanted to plant, looking at different soil compositions and ordering just enough plants for a few acres. I then got a job in my free time (away form college) to learn how to take care of grape vines and make wine! Its working out well but its a lot.
We do however do all the work ourselves.... trellis, planting, pruning ect.. so that keeps the cost very low. The vineyard also expand a little each year... this year 3 more acres or more. I also started propagating grape plants and hope to breed them.
stargazer943
18 years ago
My parents started a winery here in TX, as long as 75% of your wine comes from Texas fruit you don't have to have all that many vines really. We grow organic blackberries and mucscadines since in Tx there are not alot of grapes that are Pierces disease resistant. You can do the work yourself like weird said and it is not all that expensive. The fruit buying can run up, but you can start small and always grow later on. Also, if you have access to wild fruit to use in wine that is good too. We have a Mustang grape wine that is yummy. I also make an Elderberry at home myself.
Achenrybrooks_aol_com
15 years ago
Did you ever start your vineyard? I want to start one where I live.

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