PB1688-Starting Your Own Wine Business

You have been making wine in your base ment for several years and routinely receive accolades on how good your homemade wine tastes. Now you are trying to decide if you should start your own vineyard and build a commercial winery. What are the factors that you should consider in starting a winery and a vineyard?

There are many aspects to consider in starting a winery. One of the fi rst considerations should be where to get grapes and what kind of wine to make. You also need to familiarize yourself with the various regulations and governing bodies that regulate the industry.

If you are a novice in the art and science of growing grapes, we suggest contacting your county Extension agent, who can direct you to the appropriate specialist at The University of Tennessee. This specialist can advise you on site selection, recommended varieties, trellising systems, spray programs and other information to help you grow high-quality grapes. The publication “So You Want to Grow Grapes in Tennessee...” details the pro duc tion of a high-quality vineyard.

The production of fi ne commercial wines requires equipment, materials and expertise that you may not have in the home production of wines. Before undertaking a commercial winery, you should seek out a variety of expertise and advice from such people as reputable wine makers, wine consultants, equipment and ingredient suppliers and specialists at your university. The intent of this publication is not to instruct you on how to make wine. There are a multitude of other resources that detail the science and art of making wine. Several good references are listed in Appendix E. The objectives of this publication are to outline the process of obtaining approval from the various regulatory agencies and to defi ne the minimum requirements of the facility and equipment needed for a commercial winery. The publication also defines basic equipment requirements and basic must and wine analytical techniques.