Another reason Grafton has it going on: a big new winery and microbrewery. Last weekend saw the grand opening of Grafton Winery & Brewhaus. “It was nuts, luckily – we’re not complaining!” said Mike Nikonovich, who co-owns the $2.5 million facility with his wife, Lori.
Seven Grafton Winery wines are on the menu, including blends and a Cabernet Sauvignon, made with grapes from upstate New York and Miramont Estate Vineyards in Linden, Calif. Three of Grafton’s wines are being finished at Les Bourgeois Winery in Rocheport, Mo., by winemaker Cory Bomgaars.
Nikonovich, who runs the wine operations at Grafton, said he’s also working on wines made with local fruit, including apple and cranberry wines that should be available in about three weeks and a blackberry wine ready in six.
Grafton’s brewer is Nikonovich’s son Mike Jr., who plans to start with an ale, a pilsner and two seasonal beers when the brewhouse opens in early spring.
Till then, the 10,500-square-foot winery (with an additional 5,700 square feet of patio space) is open seven days a week for food, drink and incredible eagle-watching through walls made of clear glass garage doors.
This article appears in Jan 1-31, 2009.