1 00:00:00,166 --> 00:00:01,459 Welcome back. 2 00:00:01,459 --> 00:00:05,005 Our guest today is Larry Otto, owner of the Winery 3 00:00:05,005 --> 00:00:08,133 at Holy Cross Abbey down in Cañon City. 4 00:00:08,174 --> 00:00:10,301 Larry, thanks for coming in and being on the show today. 5 00:00:10,301 --> 00:00:11,261 Thanks for having me, Doug. 6 00:00:11,261 --> 00:00:13,847 Absolutely. So, 7 00:00:13,847 --> 00:00:15,056 you're a Jersey guy. 8 00:00:15,056 --> 00:00:19,811 Let's talk about the journey and tell our listeners about 9 00:00:20,228 --> 00:00:22,897 you know, not only the winery at Holy Cross Abbey, 10 00:00:22,897 --> 00:00:27,736 but you've got a great background of how you even got into the wine business. 11 00:00:28,486 --> 00:00:29,487 Well, it's crazy, right? 12 00:00:29,487 --> 00:00:30,822 I mean, I've been here. 13 00:00:30,822 --> 00:00:32,532 I'm in my 20th year, right? 14 00:00:32,532 --> 00:00:35,952 I was doing this and prior to me acquiring the winery, 15 00:00:36,578 --> 00:00:39,497 I was a partner in an accounting firm in New York City. 16 00:00:39,497 --> 00:00:43,334 I lived in New Jersey and and worked for the same firm for 23 years. 17 00:00:43,334 --> 00:00:46,087 Worked my way up through the ranks, became a partner. 18 00:00:46,087 --> 00:00:48,631 I'd been a partner for a number of years. 19 00:00:48,631 --> 00:00:53,303 And, I can't say I woke up one day and said, I want to own a winery. 20 00:00:54,220 --> 00:00:56,639 But the industry was changing. The commute was 21 00:00:58,767 --> 00:01:00,852 getting to me, the congestion 22 00:01:00,852 --> 00:01:02,937 was getting to me, the climate was getting to me. 23 00:01:02,937 --> 00:01:06,316 And so I went on a journey to find a place that I wanted to, 24 00:01:06,983 --> 00:01:10,070 to really live and invest in the community 25 00:01:10,070 --> 00:01:13,073 and own my own shop. So, 26 00:01:13,239 --> 00:01:16,493 I went through that process and it was kind of miraculous that it 27 00:01:16,493 --> 00:01:19,037 that it pulled together through some able networking. 28 00:01:19,037 --> 00:01:22,832 I got put in contact with a gentleman that went to the 29 00:01:22,832 --> 00:01:24,292 the boarding school down there, the. 30 00:01:24,292 --> 00:01:25,627 Oh yeah. Okay. 31 00:01:25,627 --> 00:01:26,586 And was on the, 32 00:01:26,586 --> 00:01:30,173 the board of directors for this winery that they got opened in 2002. 33 00:01:30,173 --> 00:01:35,261 And we started chatting and, and I put a proposal together and 34 00:01:35,804 --> 00:01:40,141 utilizing skills that I, that I acquired over 23 years 35 00:01:40,141 --> 00:01:42,102 in public accounting work. Yeah. 36 00:01:42,102 --> 00:01:43,394 Working with those clients. 37 00:01:43,394 --> 00:01:47,816 And, I was able to get a transaction, put together 38 00:01:47,816 --> 00:01:51,861 some SBA backed financing, and, here we are 20 years later. 39 00:01:52,737 --> 00:01:53,196 You know, 40 00:01:54,197 --> 00:01:56,616 you and I know each other, and we both are East Coast people. 41 00:01:56,616 --> 00:01:59,077 And one of the things that we've, 42 00:01:59,077 --> 00:02:02,747 you know, have in common is that, for those who are listening 43 00:02:02,747 --> 00:02:06,167 and wondering about us Coloradans out here, how did we get here? 44 00:02:06,751 --> 00:02:10,004 I, too, had, like, an awakening on the Beltway 45 00:02:10,004 --> 00:02:12,966 one day in Washington DC like 46 00:02:13,258 --> 00:02:14,843 McCartney was on the radio. 47 00:02:14,843 --> 00:02:16,427 He was singing too many people. 48 00:02:16,427 --> 00:02:18,763 I've heard that song so many times. 49 00:02:18,763 --> 00:02:20,682 And I thought to myself, you know what? 50 00:02:20,682 --> 00:02:24,686 This, the gridlock, all this is, there's got to be another place. 51 00:02:24,936 --> 00:02:30,316 So for those of you, we're not looking to invite everybody to move to Colorado. 52 00:02:30,483 --> 00:02:31,943 But it is a special place. 53 00:02:31,943 --> 00:02:35,822 I mean, so it's it's just neat when you get a chance 54 00:02:35,822 --> 00:02:39,159 to to talk about, becoming an entrepreneur. 55 00:02:39,159 --> 00:02:42,162 And, you know, you, you left the, the comforts 56 00:02:42,162 --> 00:02:45,582 and in some of the inconveniences of, of living 57 00:02:45,790 --> 00:02:48,668 in the New York area and coming out here. So, 58 00:02:50,628 --> 00:02:52,797 you took a big, big pivot. 59 00:02:52,797 --> 00:02:58,178 And because you have an accounting mind, I'm wondering, like, 60 00:02:58,178 --> 00:03:02,473 did you have a background in wine or how did you learn about wine? 61 00:03:03,016 --> 00:03:07,395 Just a passion just for for drinking it and experiencing it with food. 62 00:03:07,645 --> 00:03:09,939 The, the whole pairing aspect. 63 00:03:09,939 --> 00:03:12,192 You know, I'm, I do all the cooking in my household. 64 00:03:12,192 --> 00:03:14,736 And so, 65 00:03:14,736 --> 00:03:17,864 I have a, you know, a real passion for, for doing that as well. 66 00:03:17,864 --> 00:03:20,867 So, you know, so I had learned about wine. 67 00:03:20,867 --> 00:03:22,785 I fell in love with wine. 68 00:03:22,785 --> 00:03:25,747 I read about wine and what I really wanted to do 69 00:03:25,747 --> 00:03:28,750 as an accountant was to get my wine built up. 70 00:03:29,083 --> 00:03:30,460 Have it paid for by the government. 71 00:03:30,460 --> 00:03:31,753 Through tax deductions. 72 00:03:31,753 --> 00:03:34,505 Yes. So, yeah. No. In your book. Right. 73 00:03:34,505 --> 00:03:36,174 No. The laws. 74 00:03:36,174 --> 00:03:38,760 And so you know, I had 75 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:42,639 I had looked at other craft beverage industries as well. 76 00:03:42,639 --> 00:03:48,061 Beer distilling and wine was really an area that I had the most interest in. 77 00:03:48,353 --> 00:03:50,605 And I have to say that, I mean, the opportunity 78 00:03:50,605 --> 00:03:53,399 I wasn't looking specifically for a winery to acquire. 79 00:03:53,399 --> 00:03:55,276 Yeah, I was looking for a shop that 80 00:03:55,276 --> 00:03:58,238 I wanted to own and be part of a community with. 81 00:03:58,988 --> 00:04:01,741 But the fact that this winery showed up on the radar and. 82 00:04:01,741 --> 00:04:05,203 Yeah, to to to get it was pretty, pretty fascinating. 83 00:04:05,203 --> 00:04:10,041 Well, and you know, for for listeners, particularly if you're not from Colorado, 84 00:04:10,667 --> 00:04:14,379 people tend to think of Colorado and you think about beer. 85 00:04:14,587 --> 00:04:19,676 I mean, we are known for beer and Denver and and there's a there's a lot of places, 86 00:04:21,636 --> 00:04:23,888 Colorado wines 87 00:04:23,888 --> 00:04:26,849 are are a bit of a surprise to people. 88 00:04:26,849 --> 00:04:31,396 I mean, the, you know, the Palisades and the western slope 89 00:04:31,396 --> 00:04:35,191 of Colorado is where much of the fruit comes from. 90 00:04:35,191 --> 00:04:38,319 And different things for for our Colorado wines. 91 00:04:38,861 --> 00:04:42,824 But you are really one of the few wineries, 92 00:04:43,825 --> 00:04:46,661 here in the Pikes Peak region. 93 00:04:46,661 --> 00:04:50,248 And, and so let's, let's let listeners know a couple things before 94 00:04:50,248 --> 00:04:53,251 we get into the history of the Abbey, tell people, 95 00:04:53,668 --> 00:04:55,878 you know, where are you physically located, like 96 00:04:55,878 --> 00:04:59,716 where Cañon City is compared to Colorado Springs and Denver and everything else. 97 00:04:59,716 --> 00:05:02,635 So they know the location of what we're talking about. 98 00:05:02,635 --> 00:05:05,680 Well, the winery as you mentioned is located in Cañon City. 99 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:08,683 It's on the eastern side of Cañon City, which is an hour, 100 00:05:09,225 --> 00:05:12,854 southwest of where we are right now in Colorado Springs. 101 00:05:14,147 --> 00:05:14,981 It's the it's the 102 00:05:14,981 --> 00:05:19,027 point where the Arkansas River goes through the famous royal gorge. 103 00:05:19,027 --> 00:05:20,236 Right. 104 00:05:20,236 --> 00:05:23,239 So it's a it's, it's really a, 105 00:05:23,323 --> 00:05:25,825 it's a gateway to the, to the Rocky Mountains. 106 00:05:25,825 --> 00:05:26,075 Yeah. 107 00:05:26,075 --> 00:05:27,452 It's kind of nestled in there 108 00:05:27,452 --> 00:05:29,746 between the Sangre de Cristo and the Wet Mountains. 109 00:05:29,746 --> 00:05:32,415 And it's, it's got that river that runs through the Royal Gorge 110 00:05:32,415 --> 00:05:35,710 and then which of course continues west, east towards Kansas, but. 111 00:05:35,710 --> 00:05:39,047 Yeah, but yeah, just basically an hour or hour away from here 112 00:05:39,339 --> 00:05:42,300 when we talk a lot about, 113 00:05:42,300 --> 00:05:44,844 people who come, whether they live here 114 00:05:44,844 --> 00:05:48,639 or they're coming to visit, they'll, they'll often put itineraries together. 115 00:05:48,639 --> 00:05:53,644 And so as we talk about the Abbey and Holy Cross and everything else, 116 00:05:53,936 --> 00:05:57,774 we we will want listeners to be be sure. 117 00:05:57,774 --> 00:05:58,566 And weave in 118 00:05:59,525 --> 00:06:00,735 a day trip 119 00:06:00,735 --> 00:06:05,531 two days what you can else you can be doing in the kind of spoke 120 00:06:05,740 --> 00:06:08,618 and hub system of a lot of people 121 00:06:08,618 --> 00:06:11,913 who will maybe stay in Colorado Springs, but they'll look to do things. 122 00:06:11,913 --> 00:06:15,333 So we'll talk a little bit about that as we as we wind up. 123 00:06:15,333 --> 00:06:19,253 But let's talk about the Holy Cross Abbey winery 124 00:06:19,587 --> 00:06:22,590 for people who have not been there. 125 00:06:23,174 --> 00:06:25,635 Talk a little bit about the history. 126 00:06:25,635 --> 00:06:29,055 Well, the winery is located on the historic property 127 00:06:29,055 --> 00:06:32,892 at Holy Cross Abbey, and it was a working, Benedictine 128 00:06:33,518 --> 00:06:36,020 monastery for several years. 129 00:06:36,020 --> 00:06:39,357 It was built in 1925, 1925, 130 00:06:40,483 --> 00:06:42,485 and then, it had 131 00:06:42,485 --> 00:06:46,239 that boarding school operating from 1925 to 1985. 132 00:06:46,239 --> 00:06:49,867 In its heyday in the 50s and 60s, there was upwards of 133 00:06:49,867 --> 00:06:53,746 90 monks living and working there, had 250 students, 134 00:06:54,831 --> 00:06:56,541 international, some, some 135 00:06:56,541 --> 00:06:59,544 famous, you know, domestic. 136 00:06:59,669 --> 00:07:03,464 Okay, you know, products as well, people that were there local, but, 137 00:07:03,756 --> 00:07:04,715 you know, just a boarding school. 138 00:07:04,715 --> 00:07:09,429 So it was it was pretty fascinating, operation there for a number of years. 139 00:07:09,429 --> 00:07:12,432 The winery sits where the arts and crafts, 140 00:07:13,433 --> 00:07:14,559 building. Yeah. Okay. 141 00:07:14,559 --> 00:07:17,103 And then the production facility was actually the auto shop. 142 00:07:17,103 --> 00:07:22,191 So the winery started while it was still a boarding school or not? 143 00:07:22,442 --> 00:07:23,067 It was not. 144 00:07:23,067 --> 00:07:23,860 It was not. Yeah. 145 00:07:23,860 --> 00:07:26,571 So the boarding school closed in 1985. Okay. 146 00:07:26,571 --> 00:07:30,366 And there were fewer and fewer monks residing at the monastery. 147 00:07:30,366 --> 00:07:33,327 And they were trying to figure out their way forward. 148 00:07:33,327 --> 00:07:33,494 Right. 149 00:07:33,494 --> 00:07:37,498 The monastery property that, that how many acres? 180 acres. 150 00:07:37,582 --> 00:07:39,375 180 acres. Yeah. 151 00:07:39,375 --> 00:07:42,462 So in, in 2000, believe it or not, 152 00:07:43,546 --> 00:07:44,589 one of the 153 00:07:44,589 --> 00:07:48,676 monks there, Father Paul Montez, was called over to palisade 154 00:07:48,885 --> 00:07:53,222 to perform an exorcism on a, on a winery that was being built out. 155 00:07:53,264 --> 00:07:55,266 Oh, wow. 156 00:07:55,266 --> 00:07:56,642 So the owner, 157 00:07:56,642 --> 00:08:00,229 of the winery, you know, was experiencing all kinds of construction issues. 158 00:08:00,229 --> 00:08:02,773 Yeah, falling foul smells and stuff like that. 159 00:08:02,773 --> 00:08:03,441 And he was. 160 00:08:03,441 --> 00:08:06,027 He was convinced that he needed an exorcism. 161 00:08:06,027 --> 00:08:11,491 And so through Bishop Defoi in Pueblo, they contacted, one of the monks there. 162 00:08:11,574 --> 00:08:13,993 Okay. Specialty in exorcisms. Yeah. 163 00:08:13,993 --> 00:08:16,287 And he went out there and performed the exorcism. 164 00:08:16,287 --> 00:08:18,873 And by all accounts, that was successful. All right. 165 00:08:18,873 --> 00:08:23,503 But while he was out there, the monk fell in love with the Colorado wine industry. 166 00:08:23,503 --> 00:08:25,838 He's going to the grape vines growing along the - 167 00:08:25,838 --> 00:08:28,090 Yeah, the Colorado River. Sure like that. 168 00:08:28,090 --> 00:08:31,928 And he was he was convinced that, there could be a successful winery, 169 00:08:32,386 --> 00:08:35,264 you know, at at their property there in Cañon City. 170 00:08:35,264 --> 00:08:36,265 Okay. 171 00:08:36,265 --> 00:08:37,433 They planted some vines. 172 00:08:37,433 --> 00:08:42,522 They recruited a couple out of California to come and built a build 173 00:08:42,522 --> 00:08:46,901 a winery, build the, the tasting room, and they got it open in 2002. 174 00:08:47,151 --> 00:08:49,153 In 2002. Okay. 175 00:08:49,153 --> 00:08:52,448 And you have been there over 20 years. 176 00:08:52,448 --> 00:08:53,241 20 years. 177 00:08:53,241 --> 00:08:55,117 So in 2005. 178 00:08:55,117 --> 00:08:57,703 Yeah, I acquired at the end of 2005. Okay. 179 00:08:58,746 --> 00:09:00,623 And so at that 180 00:09:00,623 --> 00:09:03,709 time it was three years old. And, 181 00:09:04,752 --> 00:09:07,880 how many varieties of wines were 182 00:09:07,964 --> 00:09:13,302 because you're, you're using grapes from right there, some some. 183 00:09:13,386 --> 00:09:15,721 Okay. But when you even when you first started. 184 00:09:15,721 --> 00:09:16,597 Yes. Okay. 185 00:09:16,597 --> 00:09:18,933 Okay. Yeah. They had planted some Chardonnay. 186 00:09:18,933 --> 00:09:20,601 They planted some Riesling. 187 00:09:20,601 --> 00:09:23,229 There. It's you know quite frankly it's 188 00:09:23,229 --> 00:09:26,524 a horrible place in town to try to grow grapes. 189 00:09:26,524 --> 00:09:29,068 That's where all the frost accumulates. 190 00:09:29,068 --> 00:09:30,736 Not not great windbreaks. 191 00:09:30,736 --> 00:09:34,574 It doesn't have that nice microclimate that you get from the river. 192 00:09:34,574 --> 00:09:35,533 Yeah. 193 00:09:35,533 --> 00:09:38,536 So there are grapes being grown in the region. 194 00:09:38,786 --> 00:09:40,454 Not a lot grown on our property. 195 00:09:40,454 --> 00:09:44,333 We we source primarily from Palisade, from Palisade and other regions. 196 00:09:44,333 --> 00:09:45,876 Okay, okay. 197 00:09:45,876 --> 00:09:51,340 So now, you buy it in 2005? 198 00:09:52,091 --> 00:09:54,427 Probably not that well known 199 00:09:54,427 --> 00:09:57,763 outside of maybe Canyon City at that point. 200 00:09:57,763 --> 00:10:02,351 I imagine that the that the monks were, you know, being good at what 201 00:10:02,351 --> 00:10:05,771 they were doing, but they may not have in the folks from California. 202 00:10:06,522 --> 00:10:09,525 You had you certainly had challenges, 203 00:10:10,234 --> 00:10:13,237 in, in terms of marketing and, and, 204 00:10:13,362 --> 00:10:18,743 and what's it like to find, labor in, in to, to work in a winery? 205 00:10:18,784 --> 00:10:19,994 How how's that work? 206 00:10:21,245 --> 00:10:22,455 Well, it would work much better 207 00:10:22,455 --> 00:10:26,709 if I was really located within a wine producing region. Yes. 208 00:10:27,543 --> 00:10:28,127 Yeah. 209 00:10:28,127 --> 00:10:30,046 Or even palisade, for that matter. Yeah. 210 00:10:30,046 --> 00:10:31,672 Not a it's highly specialized. 211 00:10:31,672 --> 00:10:37,178 And there's not a lot of people that have, beverage manufacturing experience. 212 00:10:37,178 --> 00:10:39,096 Sure. So it's hard. It's a challenge. 213 00:10:39,096 --> 00:10:43,267 But yeah, you know, we try to lean on other industries, 214 00:10:43,267 --> 00:10:46,771 you know, at the, you know, Cañon City, the Royal Gorge Region, the 215 00:10:46,771 --> 00:10:49,148 Arkansas River is a great place for rafting. 216 00:10:49,148 --> 00:10:50,441 Commercial rafting. Yeah. 217 00:10:50,441 --> 00:10:53,861 And we've had great success with hiring people out of the rafting industry. 218 00:10:53,861 --> 00:10:57,907 As they get older and they start feeling the aches and pains of being on the river. 219 00:10:57,907 --> 00:10:58,616 Sure. 220 00:10:58,616 --> 00:11:02,495 And they're looking for a more stable, secure, profession and career. 221 00:11:02,495 --> 00:11:05,498 And so we've had a lot of success hiring from that group. 222 00:11:05,623 --> 00:11:07,833 Awesome. That that makes a lot of sense. 223 00:11:07,833 --> 00:11:12,046 So let's talk about the experience for for visitors. 224 00:11:12,046 --> 00:11:15,883 And, coming down, coming into the winery. 225 00:11:15,966 --> 00:11:17,635 Let's talk about the experience 226 00:11:17,635 --> 00:11:21,681 starting with like the tasting room and what are some of your, 227 00:11:22,181 --> 00:11:26,102 top sellers that people should know to to come down and try? 228 00:11:26,519 --> 00:11:28,145 Well, it's a great property to visit. 229 00:11:28,145 --> 00:11:30,606 Yeah. It's very peaceful, very serene, very pastoral. 230 00:11:30,606 --> 00:11:32,692 Plenty of parking. That's great. Plenty of parking. 231 00:11:32,692 --> 00:11:33,651 Yeah, a great lawn. 232 00:11:33,651 --> 00:11:37,446 People can come down and have picnics and, you know, we don't charge for the space. 233 00:11:37,571 --> 00:11:41,075 Yeah, but for the most part, when people visit, they have the option 234 00:11:41,075 --> 00:11:44,078 to either, go for, flights. 235 00:11:44,704 --> 00:11:47,623 A sampling of our different wines, or they can, 236 00:11:47,623 --> 00:11:51,293 reserve in advance for a VIP which comes with some charcuterie items. 237 00:11:52,002 --> 00:11:56,298 Most of our tasting is done outside on a beautiful patio or covered veranda. 238 00:11:56,298 --> 00:11:58,509 And we can we do that year round? Yeah. 239 00:11:58,509 --> 00:12:02,471 Because we, we have it partially enclosed and heated for the for the cooler months. 240 00:12:02,471 --> 00:12:03,055 Exactly. 241 00:12:04,765 --> 00:12:06,809 Our, our biggest 242 00:12:06,809 --> 00:12:10,771 sellers, our, our signature white wine is Riesling. 243 00:12:11,105 --> 00:12:14,692 And there's a lot of it planted in Colorado, and it's actually 244 00:12:14,692 --> 00:12:17,695 in our own vineyard in our own vineyard. 245 00:12:19,029 --> 00:12:20,990 But Riesling is our largest program, 246 00:12:20,990 --> 00:12:23,200 and it's it's waned a little bit over the years. 247 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:26,746 It's popularity was that it was the darling of the the wine world 248 00:12:26,746 --> 00:12:31,250 in the, in the late 2000 and the early 2010s. 249 00:12:31,709 --> 00:12:36,505 But it's still something that we produce in one of our largest programs. 250 00:12:36,964 --> 00:12:39,925 Our signature wine is Merlot. Yep. 251 00:12:39,925 --> 00:12:42,928 And we've done really well with Merlot over the years, 252 00:12:43,012 --> 00:12:45,973 whether it's a regular standalone varietal or a reserve. 253 00:12:45,973 --> 00:12:46,766 Yeah. 254 00:12:46,766 --> 00:12:49,810 Highly rated in Wine Enthusiast magazine. 255 00:12:49,810 --> 00:12:52,813 And various international competitions. 256 00:12:53,230 --> 00:12:54,690 But those aren't the only two. 257 00:12:54,690 --> 00:12:56,984 You know, we have 19 labels right now. 258 00:12:56,984 --> 00:12:59,487 Yeah, 19 varietals with two different labels. 259 00:12:59,487 --> 00:13:03,949 We have the the traditional winery at Holy Cross Abbey label, which is such a cool logo. 260 00:13:03,949 --> 00:13:07,870 And then a couple of years ago we introduced, the “as above, so below”. 261 00:13:08,245 --> 00:13:08,954 Okay. 262 00:13:08,954 --> 00:13:14,084 Which is kind of a nod to organized religion before it was actually organized. 263 00:13:14,084 --> 00:13:14,585 Yeah. 264 00:13:14,585 --> 00:13:17,797 Little something, some pagan symbol, a symbolic tree. And, 265 00:13:19,423 --> 00:13:21,842 just just talking about, you know, 266 00:13:21,842 --> 00:13:26,055 hermetic principles and the oneness of the, of the universe and the earth. 267 00:13:26,055 --> 00:13:29,975 And sure, it ties together with some playful names like Alchemist and. 268 00:13:30,142 --> 00:13:33,145 Yeah, Theorgist, astrong- astrologist 269 00:13:33,395 --> 00:13:38,484 and and of all of the 19 different varieties, your, your wines 270 00:13:38,484 --> 00:13:43,405 are also available for purchase outside of the of the of the abbey as well. 271 00:13:43,405 --> 00:13:44,323 Correct. Sure. 272 00:13:44,323 --> 00:13:44,490 Yeah. 273 00:13:44,490 --> 00:13:47,284 I mean, I'd just we'd love to see people come and visit. 274 00:13:47,284 --> 00:13:50,204 Yeah. Visit us and taste the wines in the tasting room. 275 00:13:50,204 --> 00:13:54,375 We we could ship to, just about 35 states, right 276 00:13:54,375 --> 00:13:56,168 direct to consumer. 277 00:13:56,168 --> 00:14:01,048 But then also we have 200 locations up and down the Front Range where. 278 00:14:01,090 --> 00:14:04,635 Yeah, liquor stores and wine shops will will carry our product. 279 00:14:04,635 --> 00:14:07,304 And, you know, locals can go and pick it up. 280 00:14:07,304 --> 00:14:08,138 Exactly. 281 00:14:08,138 --> 00:14:10,724 So that's that's part of what we want. 282 00:14:10,724 --> 00:14:13,477 You know, locals to that might be listening to know 283 00:14:13,477 --> 00:14:16,480 is that if you've never tried these 284 00:14:16,480 --> 00:14:19,984 and and you're you're a try it for yourselves 285 00:14:20,150 --> 00:14:23,153 but be if you've got friends and family coming to visit. 286 00:14:23,654 --> 00:14:25,781 This is a great place to to go down. 287 00:14:25,781 --> 00:14:28,868 But but you can give them a sample before they even get there 288 00:14:29,076 --> 00:14:33,038 to, you know, to experience what what that is like, you know, Larry, 289 00:14:33,038 --> 00:14:37,251 some of the ways that, you know, people measure, 290 00:14:38,377 --> 00:14:41,171 a winery or they, they'll talk about 291 00:14:41,171 --> 00:14:45,301 cases, like, how many cases does somebody produce in a year? 292 00:14:45,342 --> 00:14:47,636 How big is the winery? 293 00:14:47,636 --> 00:14:52,892 So right now we're doing we're planning on doing 6,000, 6,000 cases this year okay. 294 00:14:53,017 --> 00:14:55,686 It's down from, from past years. 295 00:14:55,686 --> 00:14:59,106 And that's just a construct contraction of the alcohol industry, 296 00:14:59,106 --> 00:15:01,066 the wine industry in general. 297 00:15:01,066 --> 00:15:01,567 Okay. 298 00:15:01,567 --> 00:15:04,570 There's a lot of factors that go into that. But, 299 00:15:04,737 --> 00:15:07,990 we're just continuously trying to evolve and pivot 300 00:15:07,990 --> 00:15:11,619 and find ways to reach people where they want to be. 301 00:15:11,619 --> 00:15:15,748 And there's still plenty of folks out there that want to experience, 302 00:15:15,998 --> 00:15:19,001 the wonderment of wine and the romance of the vineyard. 303 00:15:19,001 --> 00:15:22,922 And, so we just need to continue to, to reach them and, 304 00:15:23,255 --> 00:15:26,717 and provide them with a fun, relaxing, educational, 305 00:15:26,717 --> 00:15:29,720 but not pretentious kind of experience. Yep. 306 00:15:31,180 --> 00:15:32,765 6000. 307 00:15:32,765 --> 00:15:35,100 So that will be, 308 00:15:35,100 --> 00:15:36,936 from the highest number. 309 00:15:36,936 --> 00:15:38,896 What's the most you've ever produced? 310 00:15:38,896 --> 00:15:39,730 Cases in a year? 311 00:15:39,730 --> 00:15:41,231 11,000, 11,000. 312 00:15:41,231 --> 00:15:44,234 So you see, you're at 6000 now. 313 00:15:44,860 --> 00:15:46,528 And you really do look at that 314 00:15:46,528 --> 00:15:50,324 as you talk with your peers around the state and around the country, 315 00:15:50,532 --> 00:15:53,702 that that is kind of a sign of the times that people are 316 00:15:54,453 --> 00:15:57,873 are they just drinking less wine is or what? 317 00:15:57,957 --> 00:16:00,960 What do you what is what does the industry look like? 318 00:16:01,126 --> 00:16:06,465 There is wine consumption is down around the world, around the world, in Colorado. 319 00:16:06,465 --> 00:16:10,386 I know this because I chair the Colorado Wine Industry Development Board and I 320 00:16:10,386 --> 00:16:13,389 have access and knowledge of tax revenues. 321 00:16:14,139 --> 00:16:16,809 Wine excise tax revenues are down 322 00:16:16,809 --> 00:16:19,436 this year, compared to last year, 323 00:16:19,436 --> 00:16:22,106 you know, roughly 8 to 10%. 324 00:16:22,106 --> 00:16:24,566 And that's just just volume. 325 00:16:24,566 --> 00:16:27,403 That's not dollar amount or anything like that. Sure. It's just purchased volume. 326 00:16:27,403 --> 00:16:29,655 So that just shows that people are are drinking less. 327 00:16:30,614 --> 00:16:34,368 The reasons that are trivial to that is that, you know, 328 00:16:34,368 --> 00:16:37,454 the wine industry has traditionally been one for the boomers. 329 00:16:38,247 --> 00:16:39,957 And boomers are starting to age out. 330 00:16:39,957 --> 00:16:42,209 There's they're they're spending less, they're buying less 331 00:16:42,209 --> 00:16:45,796 and drink less because of health reasons or other reasons. 332 00:16:46,130 --> 00:16:48,966 The, the younger demographic, 333 00:16:48,966 --> 00:16:52,970 they have much more in the way of competing inebriants - 334 00:16:53,804 --> 00:16:57,057 whether it's hard seltzers or it's the beer or it's the, 335 00:16:57,391 --> 00:16:59,685 you know, distilled spirits. Sure. 336 00:16:59,685 --> 00:17:00,728 Or even cannabis. Right. 337 00:17:00,728 --> 00:17:03,939 So there's there's lots of things that are playing on on why 338 00:17:04,273 --> 00:17:08,235 the younger demographic doesn't embrace wine the way the boomers. 339 00:17:08,235 --> 00:17:08,986 Oh, yeah. Okay. 340 00:17:08,986 --> 00:17:11,947 So I this is, I think insightful. 341 00:17:11,947 --> 00:17:15,659 I'm sure that listeners are can nod and understand 342 00:17:15,701 --> 00:17:20,205 and relate to a little bit and what it's like to to be in your shoes. 343 00:17:20,414 --> 00:17:21,790 So when you think about 344 00:17:22,750 --> 00:17:24,877 the that trend 345 00:17:24,877 --> 00:17:28,881 and there's nothing you can personally do about that trend, but 346 00:17:28,922 --> 00:17:35,554 as a business owner, what what do you do to kind of offset a trend like that? 347 00:17:35,554 --> 00:17:39,850 Are you able other than reduce the number of cases? 348 00:17:40,225 --> 00:17:43,228 Are there things that you're doing? 349 00:17:43,896 --> 00:17:46,273 At, at the winery 350 00:17:46,273 --> 00:17:50,736 to supplement or do, you know, incent people to come and, and 351 00:17:51,820 --> 00:17:53,822 spend some money, 352 00:17:53,822 --> 00:17:54,573 while they're there? 353 00:17:54,573 --> 00:17:56,116 Well, there's a couple of things. Okay. Right. 354 00:17:56,116 --> 00:17:56,325 Yeah. 355 00:17:56,325 --> 00:17:59,078 Obviously we're we're doubling down on our quality initiatives. 356 00:17:59,078 --> 00:17:59,369 Right. 357 00:17:59,369 --> 00:18:03,040 You know, the best wine we can, you know, as a boutique winery, 358 00:18:03,040 --> 00:18:05,626 we can't produce wine at mass produced prices. Right? 359 00:18:05,626 --> 00:18:08,587 So there's going to be a little bit more expensive bottle. Yep. 360 00:18:09,004 --> 00:18:12,633 But people who are into local and they're into supporting what craft 361 00:18:12,633 --> 00:18:15,636 beverage manufacturing is all about is willing to pay for. Yes. 362 00:18:15,677 --> 00:18:18,013 That's a quality that's exactly right, you know, 363 00:18:18,013 --> 00:18:21,683 so it's got to taste like wine that they expect to get. 364 00:18:21,683 --> 00:18:26,063 Sure, from France or Italy or from California. 365 00:18:26,063 --> 00:18:27,731 And that's what we that's what we try to do. 366 00:18:27,731 --> 00:18:31,276 We try to kind of just focus on that quality and make sure 367 00:18:31,276 --> 00:18:34,696 the wine tastes like something that people want to drink. 368 00:18:34,696 --> 00:18:35,614 Exactly. 369 00:18:35,614 --> 00:18:40,327 And then, we're, we're trying to reach out to, to different markets. 370 00:18:41,995 --> 00:18:43,038 That's great, it's fantastic. 371 00:18:43,038 --> 00:18:45,582 This year we've got placed in Yellowstone National Park. 372 00:18:45,582 --> 00:18:48,252 We've got three wines going on the Yellowstone National Park, 373 00:18:48,252 --> 00:18:52,506 our Cerra Merlot, and our third year, which is part of that as above, so below. 374 00:18:52,506 --> 00:18:53,173 It's a red blend. 375 00:18:53,173 --> 00:18:53,549 It's fun. 376 00:18:53,549 --> 00:18:56,635 It's uses hybrid high red grapes and 377 00:18:57,886 --> 00:19:00,305 it's and it's at a lower price point. 378 00:19:00,305 --> 00:19:04,309 And so they're going to be selling that by the glass at all the other outlets 379 00:19:04,309 --> 00:19:06,061 out there in Yellowstone. 380 00:19:06,061 --> 00:19:07,813 And that's a first for a Colorado winery. 381 00:19:07,813 --> 00:19:07,980 Okay. 382 00:19:07,980 --> 00:19:10,566 So we're doing things to try to distinguish ourselves 383 00:19:10,566 --> 00:19:12,943 from, from our competition, the rest of the Colorado wine 384 00:19:12,943 --> 00:19:15,946 and the rest of the wine that's out there on, on the shelves. 385 00:19:16,363 --> 00:19:19,867 And then as far as getting visitors there, we just try to provide the 386 00:19:19,867 --> 00:19:21,076 best experience that we can. 387 00:19:21,076 --> 00:19:25,080 And but, you know, as part of that is throwing some, some pretty nifty events. 388 00:19:25,080 --> 00:19:27,708 Right? So let's talk about that. Yeah. 389 00:19:27,708 --> 00:19:28,041 Yeah. 390 00:19:28,041 --> 00:19:33,005 So, each spring we have our spring wine extravaganza and it's a ticketed event. 391 00:19:33,297 --> 00:19:35,174 It's limited sentiment. 392 00:19:35,174 --> 00:19:39,052 But we feature some new releases, some things we're really excited about 393 00:19:39,052 --> 00:19:42,848 with some really deep discounts on those wines, 394 00:19:42,848 --> 00:19:46,185 giving them an opportunity for people to buy and try different things. 395 00:19:46,393 --> 00:19:50,355 We've added some live entertainment where you open up the production facility, 396 00:19:50,355 --> 00:19:54,818 we do some barrel tastings, and this is kind of geared towards our 397 00:19:55,944 --> 00:19:59,239 loyal, you know, and consistent, consistent customers. 398 00:19:59,239 --> 00:20:03,118 Our wine club members are our congregation wine club, you know. Go. 399 00:20:03,368 --> 00:20:06,038 Got it. Sure, sure. You know, 400 00:20:06,038 --> 00:20:08,165 and then we partner with some different groups 401 00:20:08,165 --> 00:20:11,168 during the year, and we have a wine 5K 402 00:20:11,585 --> 00:20:14,671 that runs at the end of August, beginning of September each year. 403 00:20:15,005 --> 00:20:17,174 And they run around the abbey and they come and they drink wine. 404 00:20:17,174 --> 00:20:17,633 It's crazy. 405 00:20:17,633 --> 00:20:20,219 But yeah, yeah, it's like Jack Quinn’s here. 406 00:20:20,219 --> 00:20:23,889 Tuesday nights downtown, people go run, run around town and then they come 407 00:20:23,889 --> 00:20:26,099 and drink beer. So. Yeah. Got it. 408 00:20:26,099 --> 00:20:30,395 And then our marquee event is, last weekend, last full weekend in September. 409 00:20:30,437 --> 00:20:31,813 And that's our harvest fest. 410 00:20:31,813 --> 00:20:35,192 It's a Tuesday, first of all, music, food, 411 00:20:35,192 --> 00:20:38,320 wine, artisans, crafts people. 412 00:20:38,904 --> 00:20:41,657 And, and we draw, we draw between 413 00:20:41,657 --> 00:20:44,743 4 and 5000 people to that event each year. 414 00:20:44,743 --> 00:20:48,914 And we we kick that off on, on Friday night with our annual winemakers dinner. 415 00:20:48,914 --> 00:20:49,957 Yeah. 416 00:20:49,957 --> 00:20:55,045 Usually 8 or 9 courses, 8 or 9 wines, three hour events. 417 00:20:55,045 --> 00:20:58,757 And, it's it's one of my favorite nights of the year. 418 00:20:58,757 --> 00:21:02,052 And it's a and it's a, you know, one of the best of, 419 00:21:02,261 --> 00:21:04,721 you know, food and wine events in southern Colorado. 420 00:21:04,721 --> 00:21:06,390 We feel yeah, of course we're a little biased. 421 00:21:06,390 --> 00:21:08,141 But you know, I've enjoyed it twice. 422 00:21:08,141 --> 00:21:11,144 I will attest. Yeah. It's it's fabulous. 423 00:21:11,311 --> 00:21:12,604 Great. 424 00:21:12,604 --> 00:21:16,483 Okay, so let's talk a little bit about what 425 00:21:16,483 --> 00:21:20,821 your what your recommendations to people would be, 426 00:21:21,863 --> 00:21:22,531 after they 427 00:21:22,531 --> 00:21:26,743 spend some time with you at the winery, what are some other things 428 00:21:26,743 --> 00:21:30,539 that you would suggest people do in the Cañon City, Royal Gorge region? 429 00:21:30,831 --> 00:21:33,375 Well, that's an easy question for me, right? 430 00:21:33,375 --> 00:21:35,627 Because, you know, before I moved to Cañon City, 431 00:21:35,627 --> 00:21:38,422 I explored all the things that were available to do 432 00:21:38,422 --> 00:21:40,924 in the realm of outdoor recreation or attractions. 433 00:21:40,924 --> 00:21:43,635 And, I think it's fantastic that I live in a place 434 00:21:43,635 --> 00:21:46,638 that has so many things to offer right in my backyard. Yep. 435 00:21:46,763 --> 00:21:48,598 And so we're talking about the Royal Gorge region. 436 00:21:48,598 --> 00:21:51,059 So, you know, 437 00:21:51,059 --> 00:21:52,436 that's kind of like a no brainer. 438 00:21:52,436 --> 00:21:55,439 It's like, how many ways can you enjoy the Royal Gorge? 439 00:21:55,522 --> 00:21:58,692 Of course, you got the iconic bridge bridge and park. 440 00:21:58,692 --> 00:21:58,984 Right. 441 00:21:58,984 --> 00:22:01,361 And so you can either walk across that span 442 00:22:01,361 --> 00:22:05,282 or you can take the gondola, or you can do some of the other ziplines. 443 00:22:05,282 --> 00:22:06,241 ziplines. Right. 444 00:22:06,241 --> 00:22:08,493 It's good things, right? Yeah. 445 00:22:08,493 --> 00:22:10,245 You know, and we're up there, 446 00:22:10,245 --> 00:22:14,583 you know, at least 4 or 5 times a season just to just enjoy that. 447 00:22:14,666 --> 00:22:16,668 The beauty that's there in the back backyard, 448 00:22:17,878 --> 00:22:20,672 below the bridge is the river. 449 00:22:20,672 --> 00:22:23,800 You got a tourist train, a scenic train, right? 450 00:22:23,967 --> 00:22:26,970 Yep. That runs right. Royal Gorge Route Railroad. 451 00:22:27,304 --> 00:22:28,388 And then rafting. Yep. 452 00:22:28,388 --> 00:22:31,683 You got the commercial rafting companies that are after the gorge, right. 453 00:22:32,351 --> 00:22:35,479 And then the last couple, last decade or so, we've 454 00:22:35,520 --> 00:22:38,523 kind of focused on hiking and biking trails and, 455 00:22:38,690 --> 00:22:42,861 there are a number of trails that run across the rim of the Royal Gorge. 456 00:22:42,861 --> 00:22:46,740 And so, yeah, I mean, ten minutes from parking your car, 457 00:22:46,782 --> 00:22:51,370 you you can be looking down into the, into the, the great cavern there. 458 00:22:51,370 --> 00:22:52,871 That's fantastic. 459 00:22:52,871 --> 00:22:56,500 And let's talk a little bit about downtown Cañon City because it's it's 460 00:22:56,666 --> 00:22:58,335 transformed itself. 461 00:22:58,335 --> 00:22:58,585 Yeah. 462 00:22:58,585 --> 00:23:02,339 It's, it's it's actually one of the, the most preserved 463 00:23:02,339 --> 00:23:06,259 longest stretches of downtown historic downtown in Colorado. 464 00:23:06,259 --> 00:23:07,344 Yeah. It's great. 465 00:23:07,344 --> 00:23:09,846 I think it runs about ten blocks or somewhere. But I think you're right. 466 00:23:09,846 --> 00:23:13,266 All these old buildings that are that are, you know, really well preserved, 467 00:23:14,476 --> 00:23:15,435 thriving restaurants, 468 00:23:15,435 --> 00:23:19,356 scenes and shops, you know, some great shopping opportunities down there. 469 00:23:19,356 --> 00:23:19,815 Yeah. 470 00:23:19,815 --> 00:23:23,693 And they have a number of events on, on Main Street as well. 471 00:23:23,860 --> 00:23:25,153 Yeah. No. Exactly. 472 00:23:25,153 --> 00:23:28,156 So, Larry is really describing, 473 00:23:28,865 --> 00:23:31,660 like a perfect day or two days 474 00:23:31,660 --> 00:23:34,663 in the Royal Gorge region, 475 00:23:35,288 --> 00:23:36,998 including Cañon City. 476 00:23:36,998 --> 00:23:41,002 Again, it's about an hour, southwest of Colorado 477 00:23:41,002 --> 00:23:44,005 Springs and really, really worth the visit. 478 00:23:44,172 --> 00:23:48,218 So let me just give a nod to our sponsor for today. 479 00:23:48,427 --> 00:23:52,264 If you're looking for a fun, family friendly event that's out of this world, 480 00:23:52,722 --> 00:23:57,310 join us at Space Foundation Discovery Center on Saturday, 481 00:23:57,310 --> 00:24:00,981 May 3rd for the National Space Day Community event. 482 00:24:01,314 --> 00:24:06,236 From 10 to 4, you can explore interactive exhibits, meet real astronauts, 483 00:24:06,570 --> 00:24:10,282 enjoy hands on STEM activities, and so much more. 484 00:24:10,532 --> 00:24:15,162 It's free to attend and perfect for curious explorers of all ages. 485 00:24:15,412 --> 00:24:19,166 To learn more, go to Discoverspace.org. 486 00:24:19,166 --> 00:24:23,628 And again that Saturday, May 3rd, National Space Day Community event. 487 00:24:24,171 --> 00:24:24,921 Okay, so Larry, 488 00:24:25,922 --> 00:24:28,925 we like to if on the on the program 489 00:24:29,634 --> 00:24:34,222 talk to people, we get three questions that I want to ask you to, to think about. 490 00:24:34,222 --> 00:24:36,516 And the first one, 491 00:24:36,516 --> 00:24:39,311 I want you this is a Colorado Springs question. 492 00:24:39,311 --> 00:24:39,978 Okay? 493 00:24:39,978 --> 00:24:42,689 I want you to describe Colorado 494 00:24:42,689 --> 00:24:45,692 Springs to listeners in three words. 495 00:24:46,985 --> 00:24:50,530 You said you were going to ask, not ask me anything that was going to stump me. 496 00:24:50,530 --> 00:24:51,907 I mean, that's three words. 497 00:24:51,907 --> 00:24:54,910 Yes, it it's it. 498 00:24:55,494 --> 00:24:57,078 I would say Olympic City. 499 00:24:57,078 --> 00:24:59,498 Okay. Pikes peak. Yeah. 500 00:24:59,498 --> 00:25:00,916 Red rocks and red rocks. 501 00:25:00,916 --> 00:25:03,585 Okay. Yeah. Red Rock trails here. Okay, good. 502 00:25:03,585 --> 00:25:04,085 No doubt. 503 00:25:04,085 --> 00:25:07,088 Let's also use the. 504 00:25:07,339 --> 00:25:11,968 Let me ask you about three words to describe the Cañon City, Royal 505 00:25:11,968 --> 00:25:12,636 Gorge region. 506 00:25:12,636 --> 00:25:15,639 How would you describe that? 507 00:25:16,139 --> 00:25:18,225 I would just say, you know, 508 00:25:18,225 --> 00:25:22,395 hidden gem, hidden gem, outdoor recreational opportunities, 509 00:25:23,605 --> 00:25:24,231 you know? 510 00:25:24,231 --> 00:25:25,774 Yep. That abound. Yeah. 511 00:25:25,774 --> 00:25:27,400 And banana belt, climate capital. 512 00:25:27,400 --> 00:25:28,568 Colorado. Yeah. 513 00:25:28,568 --> 00:25:30,195 And great wine. 514 00:25:30,195 --> 00:25:32,364 Great wine. Okay, good. 515 00:25:32,364 --> 00:25:35,367 So you you talked about hidden gem. 516 00:25:36,284 --> 00:25:39,496 What what is your favorite 517 00:25:39,496 --> 00:25:42,791 hidden gem in the Pikes Peak region? 518 00:25:43,458 --> 00:25:46,461 Where do you like to go? 519 00:25:48,964 --> 00:25:51,466 Wow. That's. 520 00:25:51,466 --> 00:25:55,428 Well, I mean, to Pikes Peak region, including Cañon City. 521 00:25:55,428 --> 00:25:58,056 Yeah, yeah. And Colorado Springs, however you want to do it. 522 00:25:58,056 --> 00:25:59,224 I mean, I think it's crazy. 523 00:25:59,224 --> 00:26:01,851 Nobody talks about the golfing. The golf. Right? 524 00:26:01,851 --> 00:26:02,978 Okay. Yeah. 525 00:26:02,978 --> 00:26:05,105 You know, I just, you know, 526 00:26:05,105 --> 00:26:08,066 there's a couple of golf courses down in the Royal Gorge region. 527 00:26:08,066 --> 00:26:08,775 What do you play? 528 00:26:08,775 --> 00:26:11,486 I play Four Mile, Four Mile Ranch. 529 00:26:11,486 --> 00:26:13,572 It's a Jim Engh designed course. 530 00:26:13,572 --> 00:26:17,284 He’s got some courses and some pretty swanky places throughout Colorado. 531 00:26:17,325 --> 00:26:18,410 Okay. 532 00:26:18,410 --> 00:26:21,413 And this is an opportunity to play a, you know, a 533 00:26:21,621 --> 00:26:25,125 design course pretty much 12 months out of the year. 534 00:26:25,125 --> 00:26:26,835 There's a couple of weekends that were blocked out. 535 00:26:26,835 --> 00:26:30,797 But for the most part, we can we can we can play year round. 536 00:26:30,797 --> 00:26:34,926 And I know that that course gets a lot of play from Colorado Springs. 537 00:26:34,926 --> 00:26:37,012 There are a lot of people that come down there for the day to play the course. 538 00:26:37,012 --> 00:26:37,387 Yeah. 539 00:26:37,387 --> 00:26:40,557 And, you know, hopefully they come into town and spend some money 540 00:26:40,557 --> 00:26:43,852 at our restaurants and gas stations and wineries. 541 00:26:43,852 --> 00:26:45,562 Fantastic. Exactly. 542 00:26:45,562 --> 00:26:47,522 All right. So you've lived here 20 years. Yeah. 543 00:26:49,482 --> 00:26:51,735 What is still on your bucket list? 544 00:26:51,735 --> 00:26:54,070 What have you not done? 545 00:26:54,070 --> 00:26:56,531 I've done I've done a lot. Yeah. 546 00:26:56,531 --> 00:26:58,241 I have no doubt. 547 00:26:58,241 --> 00:27:01,244 No doubt. 548 00:27:02,078 --> 00:27:03,413 I guess I would indicate that 549 00:27:03,413 --> 00:27:08,043 I really don't have a bucket list of things I need to do. 550 00:27:08,043 --> 00:27:10,211 All right. 551 00:27:10,211 --> 00:27:15,050 I've run a winery successfully for for for 20 years. 552 00:27:15,050 --> 00:27:19,679 I've gotten involved with our community down there lots of different ways. 553 00:27:19,679 --> 00:27:21,514 I've had a whitewater park built. 554 00:27:21,514 --> 00:27:25,101 I've got schools built as part of my tenure on the Board of Education. 555 00:27:25,143 --> 00:27:27,937 I'm involved with tourism. 556 00:27:27,937 --> 00:27:29,856 I've been involved with the Chamber of Commerce. 557 00:27:29,856 --> 00:27:34,736 So, you know, I've made an impact on very many, a lot of things. 558 00:27:34,736 --> 00:27:35,320 Sure. Yeah. 559 00:27:35,320 --> 00:27:38,323 In, in our, in our community. And so, 560 00:27:38,948 --> 00:27:41,368 there's really not much else that 561 00:27:41,368 --> 00:27:44,412 I want to be able to accomplish except. 562 00:27:45,163 --> 00:27:48,667 Okay, you know, I'm 63 years old. 563 00:27:48,750 --> 00:27:52,337 I'm looking at, you know, my my potential exit. 564 00:27:52,337 --> 00:27:55,340 I do not have a child that's interested in the business. 565 00:27:55,507 --> 00:27:59,386 And so right now, I'm heavily focused on securing the legacy 566 00:27:59,386 --> 00:28:02,639 for the winery to make sure that succession it's succeeded. 567 00:28:02,639 --> 00:28:02,889 Yeah. 568 00:28:02,889 --> 00:28:06,434 It's it's either purchased by somebody with a passion for wine or, 569 00:28:07,644 --> 00:28:10,146 make sure my employees continue to be able to work there 570 00:28:10,146 --> 00:28:12,524 and that the community continues to have that asset? 571 00:28:12,524 --> 00:28:14,901 That is my primary bucket list. 572 00:28:14,901 --> 00:28:17,904 Sure. Well, so for anybody listening, 573 00:28:18,446 --> 00:28:20,490 if you if you put yourself where Larry 574 00:28:20,490 --> 00:28:25,745 was back in 2000 and 2002 and you're about to start a journey 575 00:28:26,037 --> 00:28:29,499 of what that next chapter might be in your life, 576 00:28:30,291 --> 00:28:32,919 you should stop in and talk to Larry 577 00:28:32,919 --> 00:28:35,922 at, at the at the Holy Cross Winery. 578 00:28:36,548 --> 00:28:38,258 Larry, thank you very, very much. 579 00:28:38,258 --> 00:28:42,971 I want to ask you to be sure and tell listeners, 580 00:28:43,763 --> 00:28:46,766 where they can learn more all about the winery. 581 00:28:48,435 --> 00:28:51,438 Oh, abbeywinery.com. 582 00:28:51,771 --> 00:28:53,857 abbeywinery.com is our website. 583 00:28:53,857 --> 00:28:58,069 We have our, we’re on the socials as well, Instagram and Facebook and, 584 00:28:59,612 --> 00:29:02,615 the obviously the there's a lot of information 585 00:29:02,615 --> 00:29:05,994 about the winery available on the Visit Colorado Springs website. 586 00:29:05,994 --> 00:29:09,581 Yes, there is as long as as well as the RoyalGorgeRegion.com 587 00:29:09,581 --> 00:29:11,833 Yeah. on that as well. 588 00:29:11,833 --> 00:29:16,212 So, it doesn't take much to, to find us. 589 00:29:16,212 --> 00:29:20,675 We're really easily located there on highway 50 as you head into town. Yep. 590 00:29:21,509 --> 00:29:24,846 And it's a it's a great stop either on the way in or on the way out. 591 00:29:26,264 --> 00:29:28,808 And we love visitors, and it's worth the trip. 592 00:29:28,808 --> 00:29:31,144 Absolutely. Larry, thank you for joining us today. 593 00:29:31,144 --> 00:29:32,312 Thank you. It's a pleasure. Doug. Yep.