Page 1 - November 08, 2017 Magazine Style Full page issue

NOVEMBER 08, 2017 XX NO.11

Village News

From grape to wine to bottle

Ashton Creek Vineyard makes ready for the year with mobile bottling company

BY LINDA FAUSZ
Chester’s Ashton Creek Vineyards of their winery and bottled by hand.
was busy Friday with customers in the Even though the bottling was not part service to add to their business.”
tasting room, folks enjoying lunch with a of the celebration of the opening of East Coast Bottling is under the
glass of wine on the patio, and the setup their anniversary of the opening of umbrella of Wine and Beer Supply
for a wedding. But before the vineyard their tasting room and event center, the located in Ashland. Robertson bought
had opened, the staff had formed an bottling did play a part in the excitement the mobile wine bottling business from
assembly line at the back of a 48-foot of the family-owned operation. Owners Landwirt Bottling based in Harrisonburg
truck housed with state-of-the- art Lori and Kirk Thibault, their daughter “The availability of a mobile
bottling machinery parked below the Rachel, who is the event coordinator bottling service should be a major
tasting room to bottle up 5,400 bottles of and director of marketing, and their consideration in winery planning. Too
five different wines to be tasted and sold son, Alan, who graduated last year from often, great emphasis is placed on
by the winery. Virginia Tech, where he studied the producing wine with little thought given
This was not the first time the six- science of viticulture, and who serves to its preservation. Historically, bottling
year-old vineyard had bottled wines. as vintner for the winery, introduced techniques for the smaller winery have
The previous year, when they opened three of the varietals during Sunday’s been rudimentary, yet today’s highly
the tasting room and event center at the celebration. competitive market necessitates quality
winery, they purchased grapes from “We made it,” said Lori Thibault bottling capability at all levels of
vineyards within a two-hour distance after working three hours on the production. For many wineries, a mobile
assembly line. “It is exciting just bottling service has been the answer to
knowing that you have enough wine to this dilemma for numerous reasons,”
have a truck to come and bottle it up.” said Robertson. “Mobile wine bottling
The grapes used for the winery were is a cost-effective, streamlined solution
not from their vineyard or anywhere to an issue so many wineries face: how
in Virginia. “Last year was a bad year
for growing grapes in Virginia,” said
Kirk. “The grapes grown in 2016 are
from Washington state. The varietals we
are bottling today are Malbec, Merlot,
Riesling, Chardonnay, and Bailey’s
BOTTLES BEING FILLED WITH ONE OF Bold.”
THE FIVE VARIETALS. Bailey’s Bold is named after their
Golden Retriever, Bailey, a regular at the
winery. Another regular member of their
family hanging out is Willie Nelson, a
tall, wirily terrier. He had a bottle named ASHTON CREEK VINEYARD’S TEAM WORKED ON THE TAIL END OF THE BOTTLING PROCESS.
after him last year, a varietal named RANDY CAMPBELL CATCHES A CASE AFTER IT SLIDES DOWN THE BELT. ETHAN OATES, TOP
Willie’s White. Lori said, “We donate $4 LEFT WAS IN CHARGE OF GETTING THE BOTTLES READY TO START THE PROCESS.
for every bottle we sell of Willie White, growing whites including Pinot Gris, Beer Supply, a supplier for everything
and now Bailey’s Bold, to a local animal Chardonnay, and Petit Manseng, as well a winery or brewery may need for
shelter.” as reds including Malbec and Merlot. its business, is the new owner of the
Six years ago, the Thibault family These grapes are still in the growing bottling truck. He said, “Purchasing the
planted their first grapevine on Jefferson stage. The vineyard has added another bottling truck last month was a natural
Davis Highway. Theirs is considered a seven acres in Dinwiddie that will be
small-batch winery, planting half an acre planted with vines next spring. Read more on page 3
THE LABELING WAS THE FINAL TASK IN to a full acre of each varietal. They are Dave Robertson, owner of Wine and
THE MOBILE BOTTLING TRUCK.

Downtown Hopewell business will be open
offering unique specials and products!

Bring the family for a beautiful fall day in
Downtown Hopewell and be a part of
“History in the Making”

MORE INFO AT www.hopewelldowntown.com or CALL 804-446-4847
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