Seufert Winery

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

photo by Tom Ballard/News-Register
Seufert Winery to open in downtwon Dayton for Memorial Day Weekend

It’s happening… we’re hosting our first open house in our new Dayton winery this weekend!

Lot’s of hard work from friends and family combined with a fair dose of good fortune – and everything is in place for a great weekend.

First – the new building. Actually, it’s only new to us. It’s an old warehouse known locally as the worm farm due to the prior use. Since we took possession early this year we have completely gutted the interior – taking out a complex web of partition walls. Think long pry bars, big hammers, and an active sawzall. My brother Jerry, his wife Malea, my sister Jan, Delaney, my neighbor Tom and others all helped with demolition. The neighbors must love us.

I recycled a good portion of these building materials to construct a large concert stage. Thanks to Craigslist, all of the insulation bats were recycled as well. I pressure washed and Delaney sanitized the entire interior. We rehabbed the bathroom. While far from ideal, at least it’s usable now. Some areas around the building needed painting while others got a good detailed scrub. Then we began moving in and setting up for the open house.

Thelma (my mom) led the charge building large acoustic panels to dampen the lively sound. The panels make a huge difference. Between her and my sister Jan, they did an incredible job finding/making necessary items like stage carpeting, tablecloths, and upholstery fabric.

We stacked wine barrels to make it look official. Area rugs make it more comfortable. Carmie and Peter brought some of her paintings to show – and then helped us get ready.

While all of this was going on, I was working behind the scenes to make it all legal. Like getting city approval to make wine in Dayton, this took a bit of trailblazing. The bottom line is that the city staff is very supportive and helpful, and we got it all worked out. Even the OLCC approves.

When Peter and Carmie visited Pacific City a couple months ago, we conducted our version of “Dayton Idol” where we narrowed down the band choices. Portland has some great musicians and it was a tough choice. But we decided on Miriam’s Well for their deep talent and broad appeal.

A stroke of good luck came our way last Saturday when the local McMinnville and Yamhill County Newspaper – The News-Register ran a nice article about the new Dayton winery and our upcoming open house.

Many details are escaping me right now, but the bottom line is that we’re ready to have a great time this weekend. Come join us!


 
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