Baltimore winery open for business

BALTIMORE - A Baltimore winery that was five years in the making is finally open for business.

Andy Rahe, a Columbus Academy art teacher with local ties to the village, knew his neighbors along Market Street wondered whether his business would ever open. There were multiple setbacks along the way, but Rahe took everything in stride.

"It's been an adventure," Rahe said after checking red wine in a steel tank expected to be bottled as soon as this summer. "It's been a lot of fun. ... People in Baltimore are super excited that I'm here. ... There's not a ton of retail here."

The idea of opening a winery started when Rahe planted 50 grape vines five years ago in his parents' backyard. Rahe saw the potential for a small-scale winery and added another 150 vines shortly after.

Having zero professional training but a nose for what was good, he rented a storefront at 1201 W. Market St. and started renovations to open 1201 Wine.

Two hundred vines should yield about about 25 cases of wine, but bad winters in 2013 and 2014 killed off 85 percent of his crop, stifling his plans.

"Five years of intensive work, and it dies," Rahe said, adding that it takes about five years for a grape to mature.

Still, that didn't stop him. He worked with another Ohio business and a grape broker to purchase juice and grapes and continued his venture.

The winery, which he funded by taking a second job, opened in January with two kinds of white wine — traminette/chardonnel and a barrel-aged sauvignon blanc. They can be sampled in the tasting room, or sold by the glass or bottle.  Both wines are somewhat dry, but Rahe offers sugar for patrons who want to sweeten their glass. The chardonnel blend was made from Ohio juice and has floral flavor, which he said pairs well with food. The other wine is made from California grapes and has a buttery/oak flavor.

While Rahe has no formal training in winemaking, Rahe said he has done years of research to learn the process. He also had some prior knowledge about wine from working at a high-end bar, which is where his passion for it started.

After waiting years for the business to open, Rahe said he has had customers who stop by for a bottle and others who bring food and have several glasses.

Rahe said the goal was to keep the winery's decor true to himself. The furniture is mostly contemporary, with a lot of Rahe's own artwork on the walls and his pottery on the tables. There also is a small, separate seating area for customers.

"People have played euchre. They do whatever they want," he said. "I just want people to be really comfortable here."

At one point, Rahe counted 21 people in the tasting room.

"I thought 'Wow, this is really happening,' " he said.

sremoquill@lancastereaglegazette.com

740-681-4342

Twitter: @SpencerRemo

If you go

What: 1201 Wine 

When: 6 to 10 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, 6 to 11 p.m. Friday, 1 to 11 p.m. Saturday

Where: 1201 W. Market St., Baltimore

FYI: For more information, go to 1201wine.com.