Ben presents wine for a tasting. photo by Paige Langenderfer
BROWN COUNTY WINERY continued from 17
Cynthia continues to work in the office a few days a week, but Dave has handed over the reins of wine making to their son Jonas.
Jonas, 38, said he remembers helping his parents with the winery at a very young age.
“ My job was bottling and it was much less automated than it is now,” he said.“ It was fun, but it was work too.”
Jonas said his parents never pushed him and his brother Ben to take over the business.
“ Coming back to the winery and working was always an option, but they didn’ t push it on us,” he said.“ They just supported us in whatever path we chose.” Jonas said his dad was a great teacher.“ He was really great at making a consistent product
20 Our Brown County Jan./ Feb. 2023 and building relationships in the industry,” Jonas said.“ He was also very good at explaining the process and telling me why he did things a certain way. He is mostly retired, but I ask him for advice all the time. It really helps having that experienced adviser.”
Ben, 35, has taken over much of the office work, including payroll, taxes, and paying bills.
He also remembers bottling wine when he was very young.
“ The winery is like two years older than me,” Ben said.“ I basically grew up in the winery.”
After college and a 10-year career in the biomedical engineering industry, Ben said he was ready to go back to the winery.
“ Being out in the world required me to move around a lot,” he said.“ Coming back to the winery is more stable. Plus it feels cool to be helping run it now.”
Ben and Jonas agree that their parents built a strong, successful business and they hope to continue the legacy. While they hope to grow in some ways, they plan to keep most of the business the same.
“ There are about a dozen wines on the list that have been there since almost the beginning and they will always be on the list,” Ben said.“ One future goal we have is to expand distribution into Ohio and Kentucky.”
Currently, Brown County Winery wines are sold throughout the state of Indiana through distribution. The company has been shipping across the country since 2019.
The winery is located in Gnaw Bone, at 4520 State Road 46 E. There is also a downtown tasting room located at 47 E. Main Street in Nashville. Both locations are open 10 a. m. to 5 p. m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a. m. to 5:30 a. m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a. m. to 5 p. m. on Sunday.
For more information visit < browncountywinery. com >. •