Fruit of the vine: Geneva Winery celebrates grand opening

GENEVA – Jazz music played in the background as a tray of celebratory sparkling wine began to make its way around the front lawn of Geneva Winery.

After an extensive renovation at 426 S. Third St. that took several months, the Geneva Winery hosted a grand opening celebration Sept. 26.

Members of the Geneva Chamber of Commerce, along with Mayor Kevin Burns, participated in the ribbon-cutting.

“I think the best part is seeing the people we love the most,” Geneva Winery partner Brent Copstead said. “We get a lot of people who come here and we’ve been full every evening. People are enjoying the wine.

“Really, what we want to do is be part of a family,” Copstead continued. “That’s our tag line: Our wine, our community, our friends.”

Alongside partner Mike Dziadus, Copstead began Geneva Winery in May 2019 after realizing the potential and popularity of his hobby of fermenting homemade wines could sparkle as a business. Copstead began making wine in 2014.

Geneva Winery ferments its wine options – reds, whites and fruit-based – in on-site stainless steel tanks for two weeks before stabilizing it for another two weeks before bottling. Depending on the tank and wine being made, some tanks can produce 150 bottles. Smaller tanks for specialty wines can make 30 bottles.

Geneva Winery may even consider expanding into a neighboring building because of its popularity.

“We can’t keep up. The stock [is] flying,” Dziadus said.

“What we’re really trying to do is pick out people’s favorites,” Copstead said. “If somebody wants a certain style of wine, I’ll research it, find out how to make it and I’ll make a small batch and see if they like it.”

The black walnut wood-grained bar inside Geneva Winery was constructed by Reclaimed Freedom in Elgin.

Geneva Winery’s outside front patio is a busy spot during COVID-19 restrictions.

Geneva Winery offers a monthly wine club. It is free to sign up. Members must be 21. Packages range from one bottle to four per month. Packages vary depending on the color of the wine. Benefits include 25% off discounts on wine purchases, members-only events and complimentary wine tastings.

“The key thing is that we really wanted to build it about community,” Copstead said. “We are a community, part of Geneva. The membership is really [about] trying to build that community.”

To learn more, visit www.genevawine.com.