Kavic Winery

[ffemt128]

Well as I posted yesterday we went to Kavic Winery for a wine tasting after hours with a few friends. I thought I would post a few pictures. First is our hosts. Dr. Kavic and his wife Pat. Next we have the cold stabilization tanks, the bottle filler, stainless steel fermentation tanks and finally our group before we went and made out purchases.

I have a few more pics mainly of equipment.

If you're ever in the Carnegie area stop by and see them on Canpbells Run Road. Their website is http://www.kavicwinery.net

 

[Julie]

Nice Pics, Doug, and I know some of them!!!

LOL, we did a tour of a local winery here and they have the same filler/bottler and Mike wants it.

 

[ibglowin]

Nice pics! Looks like a nice operation to boot.

 

[DasK]

I just don't see how wineries ever become profitable

 

[Runningwolf]

I also visited a winery in Portland, NY called 21 Brix, which is very close to Walkers. It is by far the nicest winery I have seen. It has only been opened a few weeks. There wine are also some of thr finest I have tasted. I highly recommend it. Then I came home and bottled 24 gallons of wine.

 

[Julie]

I just don't see how wineries ever become profitable

Why?????????, I know what it cost to make a bottle of wine on a small scale, so I can't see why they won't make a profit.

 

[Midwest Vintner]

Why?????????, I know what it cost to make a bottle of wine on a small scale, so I can't see why they won't make a profit.

+ excise tax, equipment, bottling, building leasing/buying, tasting losses, sewer, trash, electric, water, bonds/permits/licensing, advertising, etc.

 

[ibglowin]

Its easy to make $1,000,000 in a winery.......

 

[ffemt128]

For now Kavic Winery is a hobbty turned commercial for them. They are both still activly employed and the winery is only open on Saturdays and Sundays with the occasional Friday in there as well. The do have a very nice operation in the building they have. The family has property nearby and intend on starting a vinyard next year as part of the operation.

I'll post the other pictures later when I get back home.

 

[Julie]

I know that the 3 wineries around here have their operation in their homes, so that eliminates rent and it is runned by husband & wife and maybe their children.

And wineries down south all charge for tasting and I believe the one winery near me now charges for tastings.

 

[Brintk]

I was on an airplane, a few years back, going from PIT to SFO. I was seated next to a middle-aged lady who, after the niceties of where we lived and what do we do for a living, told me that she was a part owner in a winery in Lodi.

During the conversation she told me that the joke that goes around in the California wine making community is; "How do you make a small fortune in the wine business?"


Answer: "Start with a large one."

 

[ibglowin]

Nice place! They spent some $$$$ for sure on that tasting room.

I also visited a winery in Portland, NY called 21 Brix, which is very close to Walkers. It is by far the nicest winery I have seen. It has only been opened a few weeks. There wine are also some of thr finest I have tasted. I highly recommend it. Then I came home and bottled 24 gallons of wine.

 

[Midwest Vintner]

I know that the 3 wineries around here have their operation in their homes, so that eliminates rent and it is runned by husband & wife and maybe their children.

And wineries down south all charge for tasting and I believe the one winery near me now charges for tastings.

We are very similar to this. Me and my mother still both work, while my dad operates the tasting room. We do not charge for tastings and only one of the 7 or so local wineries do.

 

[Julie]

We are very similar to this. Me and my mother still both work, while my dad operates the tasting room. We do not charge for tastings and only one of the 7 or so local wineries do.

In North Carolina, I believe they all do, every one that we visit so far as. What they do is charge you $5 and you get to keep your glass, I talked one own and he told me that the $5 covers the cost of the glass and the tastings and if they a handful of wines to that person, they make out.

 

[ffemt128]

In North Carolina, I believe they all do, every one that we visit so far as. What they do is charge you $5 and you get to keep your glass, I talked one own and he told me that the $5 covers the cost of the glass and the tastings and if they a handful of wines to that person, they make out.

The winery we went to in SC charged for tasting, however if you bought anything, they refunded you the $$$

 

[ffemt128]

Here are some other equipment pics. First off just another SS Tank. They order thier labels in rolls and use a labeling machine (4th Pic) to apply the labels. The second picture they crafted this to allow them to manually place labels so that they are all even. A simple yet practical design. After that is the corker and the last picture is their thermo capsule machine.

 

[ibglowin]

I like the label jig!

 

[ffemt128]

I like the label jig!

It's a 2" dowel rod with a bicycle inner tube over it. I guess the key os to make sure the rods are parallel. I didn't look to see how they are attached to the box, but I can surely get pictures next time I'm there if anyone is interested.

 

[ffemt128]

As you can see the vat is a Chambourcin 2009.

 

[Midwest Vintner]

We use primera labeling equipment
http://www.primeralabel.com/ap362_features.html
http://www.primeralabel.com/lx900_features.html
http://www.primeralabel.com/rw-12_features.html

I use an italian floor corker to cork and we have a MEP 4 spout filler from St. Pat's of Texas.

Between the filler, corker, capper and label applicator, we do about 200-350 bottles an hour. Mostly depends on if the applicator gets sticky or the corker is going fast enough. We bottled the 115 gallon tanks first and then split our other tanks into them to bottle. That way we limit oxygen. It wasn't so bad and we are about done with all of it! ~1750 gallons