Old style, new home Via Vecchia Winery, dedicated to traditional winemaking, has new digs in the Brewery District Christina A. Stavale THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Print Run Date: Friday, July 2, 2010 // Business section centerpiece Winemaking started out as a basement hobby -- in bare feet, no less -- for the founders of Via Vecchia Winery. Back in 2003, the partners got together once a month to crush grapes with their feet. Three years ago, they began selling their wine commercially. And beginning today, partners Paolo Rosi, Michael Elmer and Marty Huster are moving up in the world, from Rosi's basement to above-ground digs at 485 S. Front St. "We have a much larger stage," Elmer said. "We can come out from the shadows of being the underground winery and be really prominent." Via Vecchia doesn't look much like a winery from the outside. It imports its grapes from California, so vineyards are nowhere in sight. The place also lacks steel silos, laboratories and other equipment that most wineries use. Rather than using such equipment to filter the wine and then add oak dust and coloring, Rosi said, he and his partners are dedicated to winemaking the old way -- or via vecchia. "The minute you start adding stuff, Mother Nature is out of the equation," he said. "It's sad. But we're excited because this is a labor-intensive, old method, and it really, really works." They use recycled blue tanks, about the size of a trash can, to ferment the wine, and then they age it in French oak barrels. They cork and label the bottles by hand, numbering each one. Each step of the process is done at a specific time of the month based on phases of the moon to ensure the best results. For example, they bottle their wine on a full moon to eliminate sediment. When they decided to sell wine commercially, the trio learned they needed to produce 200 gallons a year, according to state law. But they doubted they could make that much and remain true to their labor-intensive process. "You'd get the catalogs, and you'd go see other places that have these very, very expensive stainless-steel silos, and it's like ... unless you raise a million bucks, you're not going to break into that industry," Rosi said. Or so they thought -- until Rosi in 2005 visited Sorrenti's Cherry Valley Vineyards in Stroudsburg, Pa. Cherry Valley has a barn to make wine using the same techniques as the Via Vecchia partners'. It convinced Rosi that, if the folks there could run a winery out of a barn, he could run one in his basement.
"If it wasn't for that trip, we wouldn't be where we are now," he said. In fall 2006, they reached the 200-gallon goal, designed a label, obtained a license and brought their facilities in line with state and federal health regulations. By then, bottles and glasses of Via Vecchia were being sold in restaurants in Columbus and Cleveland. They've since landed in more than half of the Whole Foods Market stores in Ohio. They also are sold at Nationwide Arena. Via Vecchia isn't available everywhere, Rosi said, because the partners limited their product to places that appreciate what they do. "When you get into a normal wine shop, you're just a book in the library," Elmer said. "And unless you have somebody who is an advocate in that wine shop and helps sell your wine in that shop, you're nothing more than a wine." The Inn and Spa at Cedar Falls has carried Via Vecchia wines since July 2008, and Anthony Schulz, executive chef, said it has been a great value to the restaurant. When he first toured their basement facilities, he saw "a classy operation and professional set-up." "It was different, it was unique, and that's what their wines are: different, Old World style, Italian-made wines," Schulz said. "They're very, very good." Donniella Winchell, executive director of the Ohio Wine Producers Association, said the men and their venture have become part of a trend. The number of Ohio wineries had grown from 37 in 1985 to 52 in 1995. Now, there are 145. She attributes the growth partially to the economic boom in the '90s, which is when many of the newer wineries probably started investing in their businesses. She also cites the growing interest in locally grown food and wine. The most successful wineries have been those that provide a high-quality product and a good customer experience, she said. From the start, the partners used money out of their own pockets to get the business on its feet. Once they started making money, Elmer said, they put it back into the business. For example, they bought a grape crusher. They don't make any purchases that they can't afford to pay off within a month. "We basically have always decided that we would grow the business with no debt, " he said. They haven't yet been able to pay themselves a salary, though. Before that could happen, the winery's production needed to grow -- and that required more space. They spent two years seeking a bigger, more public spot, eventually finding the Brewery District location in January. They'll now have the space to sell their wine by the bottle and to offer tours. They'll also offer tastings, accompanied by antipasto dishes. Depending on the time of year, visitors may also be able to see the wine fermenting as they dine. The partners' goal now is to double production -- from 5,000 bottles a year to 10,000.
Elmer has taken time off from his work in human resources at Hexion Corp. to work on the winery, but he'll return part-time once things get moving. Rosi works for JPMorgan Chase. Huster is a self-employed contractor. Their next goal is to be able to make a living from the enterprise. "That's the dream," Elmer said. Via Vecchia Winery opens with summer wine tastings from 6 to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The venue is also available for private events, which can be arranged by calling 614893-5455. cstavale@dispatch.com