Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Preusse.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
After working in the engineering and then staffing business for 30+ years, I was looking for an exit strategy from the corporate world as well as a plan for what I would do during retirement. I had been making homemade wine (as well as beer and hard cider) for a number of years and had received very positive feedback on the wines I had made. Our 3 grown children had moved out of our house so we were looking to move and down size our house but also wanted get some land to plant grape vines with the longer term goal of eventually making and selling wine as a hobby. In 2010 we purchased 40 acres of farm land and built a new home along with a small agriculture barn to store a tractor and miscellaneous garden equipment.
In 2011 we planted 7 rows of 7 different varieties of grape vines. Each successive year after that we’ve continued to add more rows of grape vines. Both my wife and I continued to work at our regular jobs and we worked in vineyard at night and on weekends. In 2014 we produced our first batch of wine. At that time we also decided to build a new agricultural barn and convert the older barn into a winery which was completed in 2015 at which time we officially opened Broken Creek Vineyard and Winery. We now have roughly 5 acres of fruit and rape vines planted.
At the beginning of 2017, I “retired” from my full-time job to concentrate on expanding the vineyard and winery business. We started construction on the winery to add more room to our wine tasting space as well as increased the space for manufacturing more wine which has now been completed.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There are many challenges associated with starting a small business especially when it has to do with producing alcohol. There are numerous governing bodies that have strict compliance and reporting rules at the local, state and federal level. There have also been challenges with each construction project as our vineyard/winery appeared to fall into a number of different industry building code categories including manufacturing, commercial, retail, etc. and the building authorities weren’t versed in which rules should pertain to us specifically and which ones shouldn’t.
Also, despite having 40 acres of farm land we are zoned in a residential area so we have to comply with residential zoning laws. Other challenges as a farmer have to do with weather conditions for growing grape vines in the northeast, animal destruction, and learning about fungicides and herbicides to treat the vine pests and diseases.
Broken Creek Vineyard – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We are really multiple businesses. We are a farm with that grows different varieties of fruits, a winery that manufactures wine, a retail store that sells the wine and an venue where people come to conduct wine tasting events. As the owner and farmer I am responsible for all agricultural aspects of the farm from selecting the proper grape varietals, planting the vines, building and maintaining the trellising system, training, trimming, and spraying the vines and managing the grape harvest.
As the wine maker I am responsible for all aspects of the wine making process including processing the grapes from the fermentation stage through filtering and bottling the wine, wine bottle selection, label design and pricing each wine variety. I also schedule and work with patrons on planning and presenting at special wine tasting events such as bridal showers, corporate meetings, birthday and anniversary celebrations, fundraisers and social events.
What I’m most proud of is we have created a unique environment in central Mass where you can sample and purchase good local wines while sitting out in a peaceful vineyard setting. I think what sets us apart from others is we produce the majority of our wines from grapes/fruit grown on our own property.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I think my proudest moments as a vineyard owner and winemaker are when people tell us how surprised they are that we make such good wines and how much they enjoy returning to our vineyard for the environment and scenic value.
Contact Info:
- Address: 614 South St
Shrewsbury, MA 01545 - Website: www.brokencreekvineyard.com
- Phone: 508-925-5617
- Email: ericpreusse@brokencreekvineyard.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brokencreekvineyard/
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