Going Commercial

[CK55]

The Wine House been getting a lot of work done the last month or so. Wine cellar almost finished. Painters in painting. Wood floors getting sanded and finished. I am back in Italy so shopping for some unique things to add to it.

Good Cant wait to see it when its 100% completed

 

[KevinL]

If I had the spare cash to have someone else do my dry walling it is. As it stands I've put in the sinks for my Winery (Ran the plumbing) and have been building it out with good old fashioned sweat equity. I've got my ILCC (State) Inspection next week.

Great to hear things went well with the city. It's going to be exciting to see what it looks like when it's done and to start moving the wine!

 

[sdelli]

Well... It has been a hard run these past few months but just a final inspection and I have my small winemakers license to produce wine for sale!

 

[sdelli]

And The Wine House is done!
Just build and fill the wine cellar now....

 

[sdelli]

 

[sdelli]

 

[sour_grapes]

Awwwww-RIGHT! Congratu-lucking-fations! It looks great.

 

[ASR]

Congratulations!!!!!!

 

[ASR]

This sounds intriguing and something I’m considering. Can you keep me posted on the licensing process? My personal email is [email protected] - that would be amazing...

I am also thinking of going to the next step, good luck!

 

[Dennis Griffith]

Please post the address (and hours) for those close enough to visit. I live in Ohio and find myself in Toledo regularly (son lives there). So, we could stop by and sample some of your product!

 

[KevinL]

Congratulations, that looks fantastic. Your hard work is paying off. I'm wrapping up my red tape journey within the next few weeks. I'll post my narrative when it's all said and done.

 

[Dom Lausic]

Wow!! Definitely jealous...…. Beats my home winery, working around the snowmobile!! Congrats!

 

[peterseng]

Congrats. I’m hoping to do something similar after I graduate grad school. My entrepreneurial project is going to be based around a unique winery concept.

Pennsylvania has finally eased up on their restrictions and created a lot more options with what you can do with a limited winery license so it’s pretty exciting in that regard. They’re starting to pop up everywhere. If they would just get rid of the 350 mile radius rule for produce, I think small private wineries would become as popular as craft breweries.

askinks3097, there is an interesting thread here regarding PA licensing for wineries - and some of the complexities and also some of the ways some wine makers are turning the changes to their advantage. Here's a link if you want to check it out:

https://www.winemakingtalk.com/threads/pennsylvania-winery-question.57379/page-3

That being said, I've been making wine as a hobby for a few years now and recently started making more and more of it (seems hard to leave the primary empty these days, lol)... and I too am considering one day moving toward a more commercial operation. I'd love to "start small" in my spare time, but the limits in PA seem to make that a bit challenging.

 

[peterseng]

And The Wine House is done!
Just build and fill the wine cellar now....

Congrats sdelli! Looks amazing! Hope it brings you years and years of joy and fulfillment... and profits!

 

[Hokapsig]

Just an FYI, 1400 bottles is nothing. make sure to keep your tanks full, and be prepared for a LOT of work, everyday.Good luck and Congrats!!!!

 

[SethF]

Very excited for you! The place looks fabulous.

What kind of winters do you guys experience in Ohio? Is the through the wall cooling system going to have issues?

Please continue to post pictures especially as you build out your cellar.

 

[danno]

I'm a bit jealous, being an amateur who would like to go pro but live in a dry county. It might go wet so there's still hope. I'm curious about what your expectations are from a profitability standpoint. Personally, I wouldn't go commercial if I didn't think I could do it profitably.
Anyway- best of luck!

 

[user 36973]

Been 4 1/2 years since the doors opened and I'm still waiting.

 

[KevinL]

I'm operating out of my house commercially, so my overhead is quite a bit lower. I'm going into year 4 (only 1st year of "doors" open) now looking like I might make a hundred bucks profit if everything goes well. Labor of love?

 

[danno]

I'm operating out of my house commercially, so my overhead is quite a bit lower. I'm going into year 4 (only 1st year of "doors" open) now looking like I might make a hundred bucks profit if everything goes well. Labor of love?

In your profit calculation are you including the startup costs or is the $100 the difference between your sales revenue and your current costs?