Urban Wineries
Urban wineries are a unique opportunity for the public to taste wines and learn about wine production. Depending on their exact location, urban wineries also benefit from passing foot traffic.
One of the benefits of urban wineries is that they allow more people to visit a winery without traveling far, thereby saving gas and time. If you aren’t able to visit a winery with vineyards, discover an urban winery near you. You will find an enthusiasm for winemaking just as at other traditional wineries. You are likely to discover a winery that has space for public and private events, entertainment, and/or food. Every urban winery offers a unique experience for visitors. If you are concerned about terroir and “taste the place,” you may want to find out before you visit where the urban winery sources its grapes.
Urban wineries create an easily available experience for urban dwellers. Urban wineries also may make use of restoring older buildings rather than razing and building anew. Winemaking has a long history behind it and it seems appropriate that new wineries use available historical buildings. Preservation of the past has benefits for today’s society. We have visited several urban wineries that winemakers established in buildings 50 to 100 years old.
There are several examples of preservationist wineries. Pentamere Winery in Tecumseh, Michigan was the location for the Anderson dry grocery built in 1871. Later the building became a clothing store followed by a diner. The Pentamere Winery partners purchased the building in 2000. St. Michaels Winery located in the tourist town of St. Michaels, Maryland is making use of an abandoned flourmill. Tourists and residents enjoy stopping by St. Michaels for a tasting and winery events. Converted from a brick 1904 ice warehouse, Frederick Cellars in Frederick, Maryland has a great location for foot traffic. In addition to the tasting counter Frederick Cellars has a small stage for entertainment. Old North State Winery in Mt. Airy, North Carolina combines a winery and restaurant in a restored 1890’s mercantile building. Prior to the mercantile, the building was a hardware store. The site was also believed to have been a saloon. By the way, Mt. Airy was home to Andy Griffith.
When you visit an urban winery, take note of what the building may have been in a previous time period. How much of the building still keeps its original character? You may be very pleasantly surprised.
Urban wineries are also popping up in business parks. Why would anyone want to locate a winery in a business park? We discovered the answer in our first visit to a winery located in an industrial park. The location provides easy access for consumers. In addition, with the price of land going out of sight, the concept of an urban winery allows winemakers to focus on winemaking by having the fruit transported to them from the growers. Although most winemakers understand the importance of growing good grapes in the vineyards, some of these same winemakers are more interested in the chemical and creative aspects of actually producing the wine from grapes and sometimes other fruits. For these winemakers using a business park location makes a lot of sense.
Chatham Hill Winery in Cary/Morrisville, North Carolina is located in a business park. They recently moved to this larger space that allows them to offer seating at tables and special events. Bonacquisti Wine Company, in Denver, Colorado is also located in a complex of other small businesses. Paul Bonacquisti uses his building to produce fine wines and support local artists, wine and education. Augustina’s Winery, in Boulder, Colorado is located in a small business area. While it is small, this is a one-woman winemaking facility and the winemaker does not want to grow larger.
When you visit urban wineries, whether in renovated buildings, business parks or occupying a downtown site, you will discover a uniqueness that makes them worth visiting for the wine and the experience. Enjoy discovering wineries anywhere!
K.S.
November Newsletter Contents
Urban Wineries
Wine and Food
Spaghetti Sauce Recipe
Partners
Beer, Wine and Spirits Expo
