Tasting Room Renovations, Finally Complete

Yes, the renovations are finally complete.  The long-planned renovations which began in late January were finished in early May, thanks to the hard work of a dedicated group of tradesmen and the patience of all of our staff.  We are hopeful that the expansion and renovations will make tastings more enjoyable and that we have been successful in highlighting the best of our historic building. 

Johnson Estate Winery - Jacketed Stainless Steel Tanks Visible from Tasting Room

The Tasting Room Renovation
The spring renovations in our retail tasting room reflect the answers to and our consideration for the following questions.  

1.  How do we maintain respect for the historic apple cold storage facility built by Fred's grandfather in about 1920?  

2.  How do we expand the tasting room to give more space to our visitors and maintain this respect?

3.  How do we portray our dedication to quality in both our products and the visitor experience?  

Johnson Estate - South East Bar & Wine Racks

Johnson Estate - South West Bar & Cucumber Barn Beam

We began with the premise - especially in the old tasting room where the ceiling is low due to a second story - that the additions and changes should reflect what would have been possible during the 1920's.  We decided to maintain the use of bead and board for the bar fronts - a frequently used material and one that permitted us to recycle our existing bars.  We kept the old wooden windows and their simple moldings.  We kept the hemlock rafters and elected not to cover or paint them.  We decided to keep the old insulation, essential for a cold storage building, and painted it black.  We found some antique goose neck barn light fixtures and they are now attached to the old beams and we made sure that the new ones were appropriate for an agricultural processing facility of the 1920's.  And we did a lot of recycling, as best we could, using the old bars, wine racks, and shelving in the new tasting room.  And yet, we think we have succeeded in also providing an inviting and comfortable location for tastings and one which provides a view of some of the winery's productive activities.