Retirees Open Abingdon Vineyard & Winery
bob carlson, business, food, janet lee nordin, retirees, retirement, vineyard, winery,
Husband and wife team Bob Carlson and Janet Lee Nordin know what it takes to create a great bottle of wine.
“You start from the ground up‚” Nordin says.
The retired couple moved to a Washington County farm from Florida and began planting grapes in 1998. Three years later‚ they had 6‚000 grapevines on 10 acres.
“One of our goals is to be healthy and active‚ and the vineyard keeps our minds and bodies working‚” Nordin says.
After reading books and attending seminars on winemaking‚ the couple began experimenting with the process.
They eventually opened Abingdon Vineyard & Winery. It now offers 22 varieties of wine‚ including whites‚ blushes and reds.
Tourists frequent the winery for tastings and tours. “People like to buy a bottle of wine and sit out on our patio or at our picnic tables and just relax‚” Nordin says. “Many of our customers come back again and again‚ and sometimes they bring a picnic to enjoy with their wine.”
Although the winery has been very successful‚ it has its challenges.
“Physically it’s been a challenge – planting all those grapes on our hands and knees‚” she says. “It’s also challenging to keep up with everything and still produce very high quality wines. I never knew when I picked up a bottle of wine how much work went into it.”
Although their workload has been anything but light‚ Nordin says they couldn’t be happier. “When people come and enjoy our wines‚ that’s the real payoff‚” she says.
Story by Jessica C. Kurtz & Anne Gillem
Photo by Antony Boshier
