Winery Placement

Those darned seedlings still haven't sprouted, and I've decided to put a heating mat under them to raise their temp to a good 80 degrees or so. That'll show 'em!

Consequentially, you get another winery entry. Placement is a big issue, as you have to pick a region that grows the grapes you want to make into wine, pick a community that you want to spend the rest of your life in, and pick a specific spot that will net you the most profit.

For many people, these criteria would lead them west to the winery powerhouses of California, Oregon, and Washington. In my case, a combination of a Midwesterner's distrust of the west coast and a desire to not migrate *too* far from my home state of Ohio has led me to decide that my winery must be east of the Mississippi. It's a fine balancing act, though.

I've narrowed my search down to five states: Ohio, New York, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina.

I've chosen Ohio as an "easy" option. My and my brother's family, as well as our two wives' families all live in Ohio, which is a significant resource base. In addition, the land is cheap. However, the wines that come out of Ohio are often weak and limited in variety, and there aren't many wineries.

New York is another easy one. It is the best wine state east of the Mississippi, and the third or fourth best overall. It has a lot of wineries, high-quality wine, and a good variety of wine varieties. My wife and I have been to the Finger Lakes several times, and love the Ithaca area. Problem is, it's cold, and the land costs are above average.

The next three aren't quite as easy. Maryland and Virginia are both warmer than Ohio, and have an average selection of wineries, average wines, and average variety. However, the land cost is astronomical.

North Carolina is the last option, though it's the weakest of the five. North Carolina produces somewhat sad wines, has the smallest variety of the bunch, and the smallest number of wineries. However, the land cost is average, it's warm, and we have extended family that have weak ties there.

This being said, the location we pick is likely to be an area I haven't even thought of at this point, as we're nowhere near the capital necessary to start this venture. Maybe by the time we set out, global warming will have made Delaware the perfect winemaking state. Who knows?