State Street Winery

Recently, in my local newspaper I ran across an article about a new winery opening up close to home, and it piqued my interest immediately. I love when new, cool businesses start, especially family owned businesses. With Say You'll Be Mine being set in a winery, I knew I wanted to meet the owners and interview them. Happily, one of the owners, Janet Harter agreed to an interview.

I hope you enjoy the interview and if you live close to Redlands, California, stop by and sample their great wines.

Julia: Janet, it’s so exciting to have a winery in Redlands! How did you and Robin come to the decision of opening a winery?

Janet: Robin and I wanted to have our own winery for about 5 years and then the last year we decided to open our winery.

Julia: Why did you choose Redlands as the perfect location to open your business?

Janet: We have lived in Redlands for 30 years and just thought down town would be the perfect location for our winery.

Julia: I agree! I think it's going to make downtown even more charming and enticing than it already is. I really love that this is a family business for you all. In fact, when I was doing research for Say You'll Be Mine, I realized that it is a business that tends to be family run. Who are the family members and how do you help each other run the winery.

Janet: Yes we are a family business. Robin –Husband wine maker, owner, Victor son-in-law wine maker, stocker, Desiree- daughter, helps bottle, label, work tasting room, Kelly-Daughter helps bottle, label, work tasting room, Elizabeth- daughter, helps bottle, label, work tasting room. My family does whatever it has taken to help run the winery and get it started they also have other jobs as well. I also have friends that all help bottle and label. They work for wine.

Julia: LOL - that would work for me too! What varieties of wines do you offer?

Janet: Whites, Reds, Fruit

Julia: You offer patrons the opportunity to create custom labels and to have their own vintage. Can you tell me a bit about how that works?

Janet: Guest can email me a picture for a bottle of wine or just put words on a label.
Guest would pick out a wine they like and we would start the wine for them
And the 5 to 7 weeks later they would come back and bottle it themselves.

Julia: How fun! In fact, that idea is so appealing to me, that I'm going to be doing it!! I can't wait to see the bottles of wine with the Say You'll Be Mine label. Well, thank you for taking the time to meet with me. Where can readers go on the web to find out more about your winery?

Janet: They can go to Statestreetwineryredlands.com

Julia: Great! Thank you so much. State Street Winery als has a wine club where members receive one bottle of wine a month and they get 10% off everything in the winery!

I'm also excited to announce that anyone who comes to the launch book signing of Say You'll Be Mine on October 29th, at Barnes & Noble (3485 Tyler Street, Riverside, Ca. 92503) and purchases a book, will be invited for a free wine tasting at the State Stree Winery!! Thank you, Harter family!

Julia