Distilleries for Wineries

As a winery you possess resources that make it more economically viable to add distillation to your business model and subsequently diversify your revenue streams. Please refer to the information below to see if adding a distillery to your winery is right for you.

If you still have questions, please drop us a line and we’d be happy to chat.

AS A WINERY your most viable path to market may include:

producing:
Fortified wine
Brandy and eau de vie
Pomace brandy and grappa from the by-products of wine-making
utilizing equipment you may already own:
Mash vessels, lauter tuns, fermenters, boilers, chillers, ancillary tanks, bottling equipment
generating revenue from:
New product sales
Contract distilling for other wineries

Products made from wine and Fruit

Brandy	Fortified Wine	Grappa	Eau de vie
Brandy can be produced by distilling wine but It can also be produced using grape pomace (pomace brandy) and a variety of other fruits (apple brandy, plum brandy, pear brandy etc.). Produced from wine and various fruit Aged in barrels Some existing winery equipment can be used in production	Fortified wine is produced by adding distilled spirit to wine. Some examples are port, sherry and vermouth. Produced from wine Aged in barrels Some existing winery equipment can be used in production	Grappa is produced by distilling the skins, pulp, seeds, and stems (i.e., the pomace) left over from wine making after pressing the grapes. Use of byproducts Aged or un-aged Some existing winery equipment can be used in production	Eau de vie is a clear, colourless fruit brandy that is produced by means of fermentation and double distillation. The fruit flavor is typically very light. Produced from fruit Un-aged Some existing winery equipment can be used in production

Brandy
Brandy can be produced by distilling wine but It can also be produced using grape pomace (pomace brandy) and a variety of other fruits (apple brandy, plum brandy, pear brandy etc.). Produced from wine and various fruit Aged in barrels Some existing winery equipment can be used in production

Fortified Wine
Fortified wine is produced by adding distilled spirit to wine. Some examples are port, sherry and vermouth. Produced from wine Aged in barrels Some existing winery equipment can be used in production

Grappa
Grappa is produced by distilling the skins, pulp, seeds, and stems (i.e., the pomace) left over from wine making after pressing the grapes. Use of byproducts Aged or un-aged Some existing winery equipment can be used in production

Eau de vie
Eau de vie is a clear, colourless fruit brandy that is produced by means of fermentation and double distillation. The fruit flavor is typically very light. Produced from fruit Un-aged Some existing winery equipment can be used in production

distillery calculator

Calculate your equipment options, price ranges and return on investment period.

checklist

A guide to help you build a sound business plan and stay on track.

GENERAL GUIDELINES

As with any new business, achieving positive cash flow as soon as possible is essential. So, keep in mind most brandies will require aging, resulting in delayed revenue from brandy and fortified wine. While your brandy is aging, focus on products such as grappa or eau de vie which will help establish more immediate revenue streams.

In addition, look at ways of incorporating your distillation runs into existing operations so that you can improve overall operational efficiencies, such as distilling during your slower season or down times.