"Steve" > wrote in message
...
> On Mon, 29 Dec 2008 18:40:21 -0800, "Waterspider" >
> wrote:
>>1. What have you seen that you dislike in u-vin operations?
>>2. What would you say are must-have features?
>>3. What times of days/days a week would be most convenient for you to
>>bottle
>>a batch of wine?
>>4. Any other suggestions or comments?
>
> 1. sticky floors. carboys that look dusty/dirty, and aren't full.
> Employees/owners that bad mouth brands that they don't sell. Stores
> that won't order a kit for a home wine maker. Stores that have little
> stock.
>
> 2. cleanliness. stock.
>
> 3. any - I'm retired. But not in BC (anymore)
>
> 4. get out of the business now <GRIN>
>
> I guess that I'm one of the winepress regulars that Doug mentioned. I
> used to have a Ferment on Premises in Grand Forks BC. I have been in
> many FoPs around the Hamilton - Niagara Ontario area recently. As a
> rule, they depress me (see answer #1).
> Steve

I have never had the Sticky Floor experience, but that would turn me off
too. Especially for something that's going to be swallowed, cleanliness has
to be a top priority. One of the places we visited used plastic lidded
"baskets" with a Mateusish look, like wicker, for the carboys (or is it
carbuoy?). Great idea, but they would be a bitch to clean with all those
little indentations. This was a busy store, so they looked a bit grungy.

Now here's a stupid question (but, being from Grand Forks, I'm sure you're
patient with us folks from the Coast)... why would a carboy be not full?

It seems odd that a store won't order a kit for a home operation. That's
just shooting yourself in the foot. We anticipate and will encourage people
to buy their supplies for home from us, with the knowledge that sooner or
later, from time to time, they will enjoy letting us do all the work for
them :-)

We think this business will be successful... not just because we are
brilliant business people, geniuses almost, and will be supported by the
entire community (I wish). There was a U-vin business here, but the owner
and his wife divorced, she kept the house and he moved the business off the
Coast. So, a void in the market, coincidentally occurring when the BC
economy, if not that of the entire world, went for a collossal shit. Not to
mention BC's drinking-driving laws, which terrify most sane people and
discourage them from having a drink anywhere but at their own home. So, it
seems to be a right-place, right-time kinda thing. We'll see.

So you moved to Ontario for retirement? Very peculiar. Usually people in
Ontario move to the Sunshine Coast when they retire. Or maybe that's why you
did it...

Cheers, and Happy New Year!