Making wine, a lot of wine

Hi Bart, There are 2.4 gallons of wine in a case. 2.4 X 500 = 1200 gallons. Depending, one ton of grapes will make about 150 gallons. So 500 cases requires about 8 tons of grapes. Petite Sirah grapes range in cost from $700 to $3000. A bottles, labels, corks and capsules will cost about $10 per case.

More info here

We just started a winery producing about 800 cases. How much detail would you like?

Cool -- have you created a web site? How are you marketing your wine sales?

Steve

i'd be very interested to hear what your start up costs were, i'm sure others would too, feel free to post your tale here :)

I am also working at close to that level. I just bottled 400 cases of 2002 Chardonnay, and have the 2003 in the works.

I didn't buy a winery. I'm working as an "alternating proprietor" at a big, commercial winery. I use all their equipment (for a nominal fee) and rent storage space from them for my racks of barrels. This is a much more affordable approach than buying all that expensive equipment that just sits idle for most of the year. Typical crush fee is about $300/ton, including pressing and settling. Barrel storage is $5.25/mo/barrel. Bottling cost me about $4/case. All bottled wine remains in their bonded area until I withdraw it to sell it, at which time I pay the Feds their tax. I had to get a Basic Permit from the ATF and a wholesaler's permit from the state ABC.

Tom S

There's a mailing list dedicated to small winery operations located here:

Members range from those anticipating the opening of a winery to 20 year veterans.

clyde

We have not created a web site yet. One of the many chores to do. We are also doing the winery as a 2nd job till it gets going. We are in Montana where we can NOT use the internet for direct shipping. We can self distribute in the state though to licenced retailers. >