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Cooperative still aims in '09 to turn grapes into wine
Friday, Jan. 9, 2009
 Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photo by JESSE YEATMAN
Rich Fuller, president of the Southern Maryland Wine Growers Cooperative, stands near an old State Highway garage building in Leonardtown. County government has set aside funds to renovate the building this year into St. Mary's first winery.
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Last June the Southern Maryland Wine Growers Cooperative said it aimed to have an old state building renovated and ready for use this month in order to be prepared for this year's grape harvest. The project is about a month behind that schedule, but it shouldn't affect overall operations, its president said Wednesday.
"I think we were probably a little overly optimistic," said Rich Fuller, president of the co-op. "Things tend to take longer than you think sometimes. We're getting real close now."
The Port of Leonardtown Winery would be the first of its kind in St. Mary's County — a private co-op of grape growers that has significant support from the county government and the town of Leonardtown. It will be located in an old State Highway Administration garage on the bank of McIntosh Run at Route 5 and Newtowne Neck Road.
Renovation work to the building should start within a month, and the aim is still to open in late summer, just in time to bring in local grapes to start the fermentation process to produce wine onsite. Wine would go on sale in summer 2010, as envisioned, starting with 6,000 gallons. The plan is for production to grow by 1,000 gallons each year after that.
"We're very unique. We have this co-op of grape growers that's also in charge of this winery, taking the crop and also involved in the production of it," said Bob Schaller, director of St. Mary's County Department of Economic and Community Development.
County government budgeted $496,500 two fiscal years ago to support the project. A large portion, $350,000, is pending approval of the co-op's business plan. That money is for the building renovation. The land was donated by Leonardtown and water and sewer are being connected to it now.
Engineering work has already started on the building and it was discovered that one side of it has been settling. Borings were done and five feet down, there's water. "That whole building's sitting on unstable soils, but they've been able to secure it," Schaller said.
Once the winery is up and running, its operating cost is expected to be $200,000 in 2010 and finally stabilizing around $250,000 by 2012. The operating costs "would primarily be covered by sales," Fuller said.
The co-op is waiting to hear about a $50,000 grant within the next few weeks from an agricultural development group and will be raising funds to finish off the start-up costs.
Sixty-two gallon barrels will be sold to donors for around $1,000 with their names on them, Fuller said. The donors will be able to taste the wine inside as it ferments and keep the barrel after its life cycle is through.
"They've been very resourceful, but if we had done this two or three years ago it probably would have been easier" in terms of more access to funding, Schaller said.
Fuller wrote to the Maryland Board of Public Works last month because a grapevine match grant program's funding was eliminated. He wrote, "New vineyard startup costs are very significant and the match program assisted with the purchase of vines. To end the program at this time is hurtful to the co-op in attracting additional growers and to the community's efforts to grow this new industry."
The grant matched half of the cost to plant vines. "We sure would like to see that brought back," Fuller said. "When you put grapes in you don't get a product for three years."
The state's 10-year tobacco buyout starts to end in 2010 and no single agricultural program has taken tobacco's place as a cash crop in Southern Maryland. Pressure will be on farmers to sell their lands for subdivisions if they aren't making money by farming.
The average age of a tobacco farmer is now 68, Schaller said. "We gotta get a group of young folks that are interested in agriculture. Grapes represent part of that equation. If people saw those grapes went somewhere and I could get a return of investment, that'll incentivize farmers," he said.
The co-op has 17 members, growing more than 13,000 vines on 20 acres all together so far. There will be more recruiting once the winery is operational.
