This is a story about grapes, about business, and most of all, about the gift of dreams. How many of us dream of making a living pursuing a hobby? Jerry Deal lives that dream.

When he graduated from the WVU College of Business and Economics in 1971, Deal never dreamed that on a golden October day some 30 years later he would be showing people the latest addition to his 11-year-old winery and vineyard—a spacious and colorful reception facility with a roof for shelter, a tile floor for dancing, and the breathtaking vista of the vineyard and the Cheat River Valley just on the other side of the deck railings. "This is entrepreneurship in action," he says proudly.

In 1971, Jerry ('71 B.S., '76 M.S.) was focused on using his WVU education in marketing to fulfill his dream of becoming a successful businessman. He says that one of his earliest business decisions was also one of his smartest. He married Susan Hawthorne, a fellow B&E graduate with a degree in accounting. Together they built a lucrative business in real estate, thinking perhaps that their dreaming was successfully complete. But a small argument with a neighbor got Jerry to dreaming again.

"There was this old Italian lady who lived next door to us," he explains, in the tones of one telling an oft-told and much-loved tale. "She had a grapevine on the property line between our houses. One day she caught me filching some off the vine­the ones hanging on our side, mind you. She yells, 'Why don't you grow your own grapes!' So I did."

Jerry Deal is not one to do things in a small way. That first year, he planted 50 vines on land he owned between the Cheat and Monongahela rivers. Ten years later, in 1990, this plot was christened The Forks of the Cheat Winery, and Deal had officially transformed his hobby into a business. His wine had already won an award as the 1989 Best in Show at the Italian Heritage Festival wine competition in Clarksburg. During the first year of operation he produced 600 gallons of wine.

In 2001 he had the best yield ever, producing more than 10,000 gallons of wine shipped all over West Virginia and to 11 other states.

This year's wine list includes 24 wines and one port (Forks of the Cheat was the state's first commercial winery to make port), and besides grapes, it includes wine from apples, plums, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries grown on the property. Deal smacks his lips when he talks about the blackberry wine, and apparently others do too—it has won many awards, including a gold medal at the Indy International Wine Competition.

The winery now employs six full-time workers and two cellar masters, as well as dozens of itinerant workers at harvest time, and Deal's son Eric has become a full partner in the business. "Eric oversees operations and marketing and Susan keeps the books straight," says Deal. "I just yell and show folks around." But it's easy to see that Deal does more than dream and talk. Making money by making wine takes hard work, know-how, and faith.

First of all, he's a good farmer. As the son of an Alabama farmer, he knows something about that, but being a viticulturist requires knowledge of the special needs of the wine grape. Like the fact that a cabernet sauvignon does not grow well next to a chardonnay. What direction the hill should slope ("northeast," Deal tells us, "So they don't warm too early in the spring. He also needs to know when to prune and how to trellis. The critical difference between bunch rot and noble rot. And of course, when to pick.

The decision to harvest is the juncture where viticulture and botany morph into enology (the science of making wine) and chemistry. "You want to pick the grapes when their sugar content is just right," Deal explains. They aim for 21 Brix (a Brix is a vintner's unit of measure for sugar content). To test the grapes, vintners use special instruments called hydrometers and refractometers.

Deal leaves these delicate ns as how much yeast to add to start the fermentation, whether acidifiers or nutrients are needed, when to throw in chemical stabilizers to slow or stop the fermentation, and how to regulate the temperature and air circulation. Deal can talk knowledgeably about all of this; phrases like "extended carbonic maceration" roll smoothly off his tongue, and he will enthusiastically explain how "each berry is its own little distillery."

Clearly, running a viable winery takes as much acumen in business as know-how about farming and wine-making. To survive, costs must be kept low and sales winched up. Much of Deal's success can be attributed to resourcefulness and innovative thinking. Example: Deal points to a quaint stone lintel hung with ivy over a heavy wooden door opening into a hillside. Inside is a low ceilinged space immediately recognizable as a classic wine cellar, lined with racks full of properly dusty bottles. "You'll never guess how we got this cellar," Deal says. And he's right. The cellar structure is a fiberglass storage cylinder, fatally punctured in transit to its intended site. Useless, it sat abandoned for months until Deal saw its potential and volunteered to remove it from the site (for a small fee). That's the kind of deal Deal makes.

He also had been creative in marketing his product, with a little help from his friends. Looking for new ideas, he called on his friend Dietrich Schaupp from the College of Business and Economics. Over coffee, Schaupp gave Deal two words that shifted his whole perception of the business: "Think gifts," Schaupp said. Now a bottle of Forks of Cheat wine also sells as a warm souvenir, as "West Virginia in a bottle," often in a basket loaded with a variety of other locally produced treats such as pastas, sauces, syrups, honey, wine jelly, and gourmet peppers. A trip to the winery Web site gives the viewer an idea of the creativity possible in wine label design for events ranging from births to reunions to spelunking conventions.

This was a story about someone who has a gift for building dreams. But the story is not complete without adding that Jerry Deal's dreams reach beyond his 40 acres to the wider community around him. Here is a man who likes to share the fun. Several years ago, he and local businessman Peter Procopchuk dreamed up the Morgantown Wine and Jazz Festival, and then made it happen. This annual event brings wineries, artisans, musicians, and a happy crowd together for a fall weekend in a grassy park. Bigger every year, the festival is successful enough to raise funds for a $10,000-a-year scholarship for West Virginia musicians at WVU's College of Creative Arts. Good wine, good music, good friends; this is the gift of a dream in a bottle. Decant and share with those you love.

Visit the winery on-line at: www.wvwines.com

The Daniel family of Raleigh County, West Virginia, is a family of firsts. Dr. George P. Daniel was the first physician in the county in 1892. He was a general practitioner and a farmer. The love of both the healing arts and agriculture has stayed in the family bloodline. Three generations later, Dr. C. Richard Daniel Sr. retired from his radiology practice and became the first vintner in the county. He owns and operates Daniel Vineyards in Crab Orchard.

But how do you get from radiology to winemaking? The story is a simple one. Daniel and his wife Barbara invited friends over to their house each month for 20 years for a blind wine tasting.

"We would get together and sample a variety of wines. Some would cost $50, others only $10. We learned that we often enjoyed the $10 bottles of wine as much as the more expensive labels." This was how his fondness for wine began and blossomed.

Anyone who knows Dick Daniel Sr. knows that when he is passionate about something, he throws his all into the endeavor. This drive, which helped him earn two degrees from WVU ('52 A.B., '54 B.S.), resulted in a successful career and current positions as a member of the WVU Foundation's Board of Directors and as chairman of the WVU School of Medicine Visiting Committee. Daniel also is a member of the School of Medicine's Distinguished Alumni Academy and was inducted into WVU's Order of Vandalia.

The wine business has not been an exception to Daniel's energy. "I had to learn from my mistakes. Some more ridiculous than others." Daniel says that his enthusiasm got the best of him when he planted his first crop of grapes. Instead of planting the customary 50 to 100 vines to see how the grapes acclimated to the environment, he planted 1,742. "That was one of the costly learning experiences. I was planting varieties that I knew wouldn't grow well here." But the experiences, both good and bad, are something he wouldn't trade since they have taught him to do it all.

On any given day you may find Daniel in the field trellising the vines. This task is an art within itself. Not all vines can be tied the same way. At Daniel Vineyard there are seven trellising systems because "You have to figure out how the vines grow."

You also may find him in the cellar mixing ingredients for wine, or taking meticulous notes. Once the wine is ready, you might find him and four other employees cleaning and preparing bottles with vodka, filling them with Daniel Vineyard wine, labeling them, and corking and sealing them in order to prepare for distribution. "I am involved in every step of the process," he explains.

He is becoming as knowledgeable about winemaking as he is about radiology. Like the x-rays he read for patients for more than 40 years, Dick Daniel knows his vineyard on a grape-by-grape basis. "I've tried 96 grape varieties here including the Chardonnay, the Riesling, and the Merlot. I can grow them, but I can't get them through the winters here," Daniel explained.

A Raleigh County winter can be as harsh as any in the United States. "During any given winter it is colder here than the Finger Lakes of New York, much of Germany, and the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia," Daniel relates, stating that "All of these places can grow grapes that I can't."

This is why he has taken a different approach to winemaking. He works with hybrids. This second class of grape makes good wine but is not widely distributed. These grapes are in no way second class when it comes to taste. "We are winning competitions with these wines, I mean international competitions."

When visiting Daniel Vineyards you will find many varieties of grapes including Seyval, Vidal Blanc, Aurore, Vignoles, Chardonel, Cayuga, and some Swenson hybrids. The latter of this family are a kind of new kid on the block. A Wisconsin man found a way to marry to wild hardy grapes with the more refined variety. The result is another member of the Daniel Vineyard grape family that can survive the cold of southern West Virginia winters. "We produce a St. Pepin wine from the Swenson hybrid that won a bronze medal in the 2000 San Diego International Wine Competition in 2002," and 2003, Daniel Vineyards will produce its first sparkling wine.

If Daniel were to explain his four years of winemaking in true vintner's terms, the experience would range from the tartness of a dry white to the sweetness of a red dessert wine. In June, USA Today recognized Daniel Vineyards as one of the top wine producers in West Virginia. Dr. Daniel was pleasantly surprised by the recognition. He relishes good news because when an entrepreneurial vintner gets a bit of it he holds on knowing that the sweet success is often short lived.

It is a fickle business and Daniel understands that hard work alone does not guarantee success. With 10,000 vines on 25 acres of land there is always work to be done, and not much flexibility in the wine business. Mother Nature can be quite the nemesis. Workers get into the fields or the cellar at every possible opportunity. Grapes are harvested every September and October. On the day after Thanksgiving, once the vines have hardened, pruning begins, which is a gargantuan task, as each one of the 10,000 vines must be pruned by hand.

In the spring, the cycle begins again as soon as the final frost of the season passes, usually before the first week of May. Each year, new vines are planted after May 1. However, 2002 was a bit more unpredictable. The final frost of the year fell on May 22, very late in the season, and Daniel lost the year's entire crop. "It broke my heart, but what are you going to do? It happens," he said. "It is humbling. I'm fortunate to be in a situation where, although it is very difficult, we will be able to handle this type of loss. But it really makes me appreciate the farmers out there who work the land for a living. When they take this kind of a hit, it can be devastating." That heartbreak was mended in a hurry, because there is always more work waiting to be done.

Daniel says the most rewarding part of operating the vineyard is seeing the reactions people have once they step foot onto the beautiful landscape. There are four venues for entertaining, each designed by Dr. Daniel or a member of his family.

The winery itself seats 40 people inside and features an octagonal bar. The hospitality space was designed by one of Daniel's daughters, Jennifer Brandenburg. Daniel's wife, Barbara, painted a large watercolor which is displayed on the wall.

The meticulously manicured grounds and the picturesque facilities make Daniel Vineyards one of the premier jewels of southern West Virginia, and the secret is out. "We have at least two weddings per weekend from May through September," Daniel said.

During a drive around the vineyard in a golf cart Daniel had a hard time concealing his enthusiasm. Not because lush plump grapes were dangling from the vines, but because a number of the rosebushes planted at either end of the rows of grapes had opened into full, beautiful blossoms. "Would you look at that?" he exclaimed. A scientist would tell you that the roses serve a very important function. Those planted at higher elevations blossom more quickly because warm air rises, while cold air drifts to the lower parts of the area. This is helpful information to know when deciding which grapes to plant where, but the rose explanation is much less technical for Daniel. "I just love roses and I think they look nice all over the place here."

He is detail oriented, and has approached this second career with an aggressive and committed spirit. "I do this because it is my passion. Not because I have to, but because I want to," Daniel explained. "It's an old joke in the wine industry that if you want to know how to make a small fortune making wine, start off with a large fortune. That is truth and that is fine. I'm in this for the long haul because I love it."

Visit the winery on-line at www.danielvineyards.com.

The Perfect Match: Wine and Cheese Even Homer knew that wine and cheese belonged together. Here are some suggestions for good pairings.

Cheese Baby Swiss Bleu Brie Cheddar, Strong Chevre Colby Cream Cheese Edam Feta Gorgonzola Gouda Havarti Monterey Jack Meunster Roquefort

Wine Asti Spumanti Tawny Port, Madeira, Sherry Champagne, Sherry, Cabernet, Beaujolais Cabernet, Rioja, Sauvignon Blanc Gewurztraminer, Champagne Riesling, Champagne White Zinfandel Riesling, Dry Champagne Beaujolais Sauternes Riesling, Champagne Bordeaux, Rioja Riesling Beaujolais, Zinfandel Tawny Port

Now You Know. . .

A varietal wine is made from the juice of only one variety of grapes; a blended wine is a mix of several kinds of grape juice

In the wine-world, "proof" refers to a numeric notation representing the alcoholic content of the spirit. Two degrees proof equals 1% alcohol, so a "36 proof" wine contains 18% alcohol. Strictly speaking, "true" proof spirit contains 57.1% alcohol at 60 degrees Fahrenheit, the amount of alcohol required, when combined with water, to allow combustion.

Yeast is an essential ingredient in wine. A fungus, it is capable of fermenting carbohydrates. There are yeasts cultured especially for winemaking, with such desirable attributes as high alcohol tolerance, firmer sediment formation, and less flavor fluctuation. Wine yeasts are usually obtained from a winemaking/brewing specialty shop or by mail order.

Tannic acid is essential for good "keeping" or aging qualities. Tannin gives most wines their "zest" or "bite," and is found naturally in the skins of most red and dark fruit such as grapes, elderberries, sloes, apples, and plums, but also in pear skins, oak leaves, and dark tea leaves. Most grains, roots, and flowers used in winemaking lack any or sufficient tannin and must be supplemented with grape tannin or tannin from another source.

Table grapes vs. wine grapes: Table grapes are grown to create large berries with few blemishes, and are worth more as a raw product. They are harvested when their sugar is relatively low. Wine grapes are grown to be small with relatively thin skins and concentrated flavors. They are harvested with much higher sugar levels so the yeast will have ample sugar to turn into alcohol during fermentation. Currently, 80% of all grape cultivation is done for wine. Dried grapes (raisins) are next, and eating, or 'table' grapes are third, at about 10 million tons.

Red vs. white: Both "red" (actually purple-blue) and "white" (actually yellow) grapes have a yellow-gray inside, so both could create a white wine if desired. The color of a wine comes from contact with the skins. A wine can be lighter or darker by giving more or less skin contact to the wine, as well as from the skin itself being thin or thick. Red grape skins contain tannins which give the wine the ability to age well, but also can trigger headaches for some. Red wines gain in quality and complexity by aging in oak barrels; white wines are usually made without wood aging and are consumed relatively young.

Fall 2002 Contents

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