Saratoga Winery has only been open since the first of October and already it’s outgrown itself, getting an expansion to make the Adirondack style tasting room about a third larger with more bar space and an unfinished outdoor deck.
We grew out of our space within the first four months of being here because we had so many requests for get-togethers, fundraisers, etc. We doubled our tasting bar to have a bigger area to cater to, said Tara Nimmo who co-owns the winery with her husband, Rich.
Tara Nimmo said they figured they’d build a steady store to start out with and then think about growing and expanding in different directions; but they never imagined it would happen so soon.
`We had such a great response from the community. The Saratoga tourism bureau is kind of peddling us as the new hotspot for visitors to go. We really took off and had a great holiday season and spring has been good as well,` said Tara Nimmo.
A winery they can call their own is a new adventure for the Nimmos but making wine isn’t`they’ve been doing it for about eight years now.
`Rich’s uncle has a winery in Pennsylvania and visiting it made us interested. We really found a passion and love for it and enjoyed the whole process and idea of making wine,` said Tara Nimmo. `This evolved from our wine cellar at home where we’d been making wine to a business venture, which is something we always wanted to do.`
They decided to jump right in and make it happen when Rich Nimmo was diagnosed with cancer last year at the age of 30. This potential roadblock helped everything come together faster than anticipated, considering the property needed to be completely renovated to include electric, plumbing, heat, walls and a roof.
Now, Rich Nimmo is cancer free and the entrepreneurial couple just had a baby. Tara Nimmo said a family winery is the perfect kind of business to raise a family in.
`It’s important to have a business that can teach about a strong family unit and work ethic; and, I can bring my child to work every day,` said Tara Nimmo.
The couple travels to the Finger Lakes and hand selects the grapes they want, working directly with farmers and gathering enough to produce 14 wine varieties. They have traditional wines, fermented in oak barrels or stainless steel tanks for between six and eight months. They also make all natural varieties which consist solely of grapes and honey, no sulfites added. These varieties are fermented in a Kentucky Bourbon barrel for 18 months to two-and-a-half years. They are sweeter and pleasant for an after dinner nightcap or palate cleanser.
They have mainstays like Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Merlot sprinkled between unique flavors like Hillbilly Mountain Mash and Red Horseshoe. Their Riesling is slightly sweet with an aroma of peaches, citrus and paired nicely with salads or other light fare. Their Rustic Red is a slightly sweet blend, perfect with pizza or pasta.
All the wine is made on the premises and patrons can peek at the barrels sitting on a bed of cool rocks through a glass window behind the bar. If the winery isn’t too busy, Rich Nimmo sometimes brings tasters back to see where their drink is made.
The Nimmos strive to create a personal and intimate wine tasting experience. For $5 customers can sample five wines at the rustic wood bar. They tried to make the atmosphere warm and inviting, said Tara Nimmo, with big log beams, birch tree accents and lots of windows.
`Tastings are interactive and informative. You really sit down one on one with whoever is serving behind the bar to go through and discuss the different types of wine,` said Tara Nimmo.
May will feature special events on Wednesdays through Saturdays, with light appetizers like quiche, bruschetta, stuffed mushrooms and home-baked baguette with warm cheese spreads. Fridays are filled with wood fired pizza and the winery is teaming up with Saratoga Trolley and Old Friends Farm in Greenfield for a one-of-a-kind Saratoga experience.
`Old Friends houses some pretty famous retired racehorses and on Saturdays, the trolley will take visitors for a tour of the farm and then here for a tasting,` said Nimmo. `The trolley will also start making regular trips from downtown Saratoga Springs to our winery so people can taste and not worry about driving.`
A Progressive Dinner Tour is also planned for Sunday, May 23, and Thursday, May 27. Trolley riders will enjoy a wine tasting as the first stop and then travel to three other eateries for appetizers, entrEe and dessert.
Saratoga Winery was a gamble, said Tara Nimmo, and while the duo met with some skepticism, she’s proud of their success so far and is confident it will continue to take off.
`It was really a passion for us. We had people say ‘In this economy you’re foolish to start a business` but as far as we were concerned, we weren’t going to let cancer or anything else tell us ‘no,’` said Tara Nimmo. `Wine is something people enjoy, regardless of the economy, and it gives us an opportunity to be a family and run this together, doing what we truly love to do.`
For hours, location and contact information check out www.thesaratogawinery.com or call 584-9463.
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