Table Talk
One-time hobby launches professional winery in Powell
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A wine-tasting featuring Via Vecchia's wines will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. May 16 at Meza, 48 N. State St., Westerville.
As a child growing up in London, Paolo Rosi was forced to crush grapes for the family's red wine.
At the time, he resented his father, Nilo, for making him do it. Now, he can't thank him enough.
"Dads get smarter as you get older," he said.
That unpleasant barefoot ritual would eventually lead to Via Vecchia, a small producer of artisan wines located in the basement of Rosi's Powell home.
Seven years ago, Rosi and two friends - Michael Elmer and Anton Kaufmann - worked together at Chase bank and decided to form a wine-making club as a hobby. They brought Marty Huster, a carpenter who
was working on Rosi's home, into the club. The more they made, the better they got at it.
"We were pretty popular guests at parties," Elmer said.
And they love what they're doing.
"It's way too much effort if we didn't really like it," Huster said.
Affirmation of their hard work came in 2005, when they won a second-place award for amateur wine-making at an Italian festival outside of Akron.
Then, state and federal law intervened. Any winery that produces more than 200 gallons a year must be licensed. In 2006, Via Vecchia meaning the old way in Italian was born.
They use grapes - not concentrate - from Lodi, Calif., brought in by Mercurio Produce, a local company.
"In the first two years, we did it all by foot," said Elmer, referring to the stomping method so detested by a young Rosi. Now, with 8 tons of grapes, they use a professional crusher.
Via Vecchia produces four distinct styles: Travato (sangiovese, pinot noir), Adamo (sangiovese, cabernet franc), Jorro-Ma (syrah) and Trouve (cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc). A fifth wine, Evident
(pinot noir), will be unveiled at the end of the month.
All are aged a minimum of 12 months in medium-toasted French oak barrels. Each retails for $24.99 and can be found locally at Whole Foods, House Wines and a few restaurants, such as the Liberty Tavern.
Donnie Austin, owner of House Wine in Worthington, said Via Vecchia's easy-drinking table wine is very food-friendly.
"Pure is the word I would use to describe those wines," he said. "I would say they're not an in-your-face style. There is an old world sense to the wine, how they make the wine the old-fashioned way with
minimal intervention. People are looking for a good local wine for the money and Via Vecchia is that product."
The winery produces between 4,000 and 4,500 bottles - roughly 400 cases - per year. Elmer, who's leading the charge on marketing, said it can be found be found in various places from Maine to California.
So what's the next step?
"Get out of the basement," Rosi said. Still, there's no rush to leave the 1,300-square-foot space. But the goal is to get into an 8,000- to 10,000-square-foot facility while maintaining quality control.
"When we move it's going to be under the right premise," he said.
Sampling opportunities at Via Vecchia are available by appointment only. For more information, call 614-893-5455.
At the time, he resented his father, Nilo, for making him do it. Now, he can't thank him enough.
"Dads get smarter as you get older," he said.
That unpleasant barefoot ritual would eventually lead to Via Vecchia, a small producer of artisan wines located in the basement of Rosi's Powell home.
Seven years ago, Rosi and two friends - Michael Elmer and Anton Kaufmann - worked together at Chase bank and decided to form a wine-making club as a hobby. They brought Marty Huster, a carpenter who
was working on Rosi's home, into the club. The more they made, the better they got at it.
"We were pretty popular guests at parties," Elmer said.
And they love what they're doing.
"It's way too much effort if we didn't really like it," Huster said.
Affirmation of their hard work came in 2005, when they won a second-place award for amateur wine-making at an Italian festival outside of Akron.
Then, state and federal law intervened. Any winery that produces more than 200 gallons a year must be licensed. In 2006, Via Vecchia meaning the old way in Italian was born.
They use grapes - not concentrate - from Lodi, Calif., brought in by Mercurio Produce, a local company.
"In the first two years, we did it all by foot," said Elmer, referring to the stomping method so detested by a young Rosi. Now, with 8 tons of grapes, they use a professional crusher.
Via Vecchia produces four distinct styles: Travato (sangiovese, pinot noir), Adamo (sangiovese, cabernet franc), Jorro-Ma (syrah) and Trouve (cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc). A fifth wine, Evident
(pinot noir), will be unveiled at the end of the month.
All are aged a minimum of 12 months in medium-toasted French oak barrels. Each retails for $24.99 and can be found locally at Whole Foods, House Wines and a few restaurants, such as the Liberty Tavern.
Donnie Austin, owner of House Wine in Worthington, said Via Vecchia's easy-drinking table wine is very food-friendly.
"Pure is the word I would use to describe those wines," he said. "I would say they're not an in-your-face style. There is an old world sense to the wine, how they make the wine the old-fashioned way with
minimal intervention. People are looking for a good local wine for the money and Via Vecchia is that product."
The winery produces between 4,000 and 4,500 bottles - roughly 400 cases - per year. Elmer, who's leading the charge on marketing, said it can be found be found in various places from Maine to California.
So what's the next step?
"Get out of the basement," Rosi said. Still, there's no rush to leave the 1,300-square-foot space. But the goal is to get into an 8,000- to 10,000-square-foot facility while maintaining quality control.
"When we move it's going to be under the right premise," he said.
Sampling opportunities at Via Vecchia are available by appointment only. For more information, call 614-893-5455.
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