The true fruits of their labour – loyal customers.

This week we explore the wider community around the winery, experience the first big event for the exclusive Sky Club members and look to the future. If you love wine, business and the thrill of new ventures. Then sit back and enjoy Avondale Sky Winery.

https://avondalesky.com/

What is Avondale Sky Winery?

If you love wine, business and the thrill of new ventures. Then Avondale Sky Winery is the show for you.

In 2019, the Coutinho family took a leap of faith. They bought a winery with no previous experience in the winemaking industry. Nestled in rural Nova Scotia, this podcast captures the ups and downs of their first 2 years running Avondale Sky Winery.

This is the story of risk, passion and family. A story about rural life and community. A story of adapting to survive and learning to thrive.
To learn more about the winery or to buy some of the wine featured visit: https://avondalesky.com/

Carl: Welcome to Avondale sky
winery.

Rhys Waters: This is a story of
risk, passion and family. A

story about rural life and
community. A story about

adapting to survive and learning
to thrive, if you will of wine

business and the thrill of new
ventures then sit back and enjoy

Avondale sky winery. This week
we explore the wider community

that has grown around the winery
and experience the first major

event for the exclusive sky club
members.

The surge of support for buying
local has seen smaller

businesses find new customer
bases and unexpected growth. But

it's not just about consumers,
as the Avondale sky team are

making sure the old church
building is a community focal

point for lots of ventures. Carl
talks us through some of the

local art they showcase.

Carl: What what we've got is
we've got local artists doing

local things. So some some
things are like you say there

might be dwarfs or waterfront
pieces. We had a beautiful one

of actually Halifax in the
bridges that was here. But yeah,

there's there's lighthouses
there's wharfs, there's one of

the winery itself, there's one
of the puppy, vino, who's the

mascot here at the winery. So
they're done, we usually have

two or three different local
artists. So what they do is we

allow them to put their stuff up
here, and we sort of sell it for

them on consignment. And that
allows them to get some

exposure, they'll sometimes
they'll come here and they'll

even paint on site, which is
kind of cool for people to see.

But yeah, we try and support as
much as possible as one is sold

there usually have another one
ready to

Rhys Waters: put up. This is all
part of supporting the town they

call home. Both an

Carl: advantage and sometimes
can be viewed as a

disadvantages. We are not on the
strip in Wolfville, where

there's 10 to 12 different
wineries that you can hit in an

hour. We are off the beaten
path, but we are the only game

in town as it represents a
winery. So we try and make this

more of a destination for the
community. What else do we have

in the community? That's not
necessarily a winery? So yeah,

there's breweries, yeah, there's
restaurants. There's Bnbs.

There's museums, there's a lot
of history, there's a beautiful

Wharf, there's, you know, a good
sense of community. So to do

that, we have to embrace that.
And that includes putting things

like the artwork, you know,
other crafts and things that

that local artists might be
working on. We want to help

promote them. We're not trying
to make money off of it. We're

trying to just bring more people
here to the community. We try

and make it you know, even with
the tours and stuff to try and

how do we do more as a community
to say, look, make Avondale

maybe your first stop or your
last stop. But there's lots of

other things to see.

Rhys Waters: Shawn leads the
wineries restaurant and making

sure it has a truly local
experience is vital.

Shawn: We try and work with
farmers we put a call out

beginning of the year and use a
lot of the farmers locally. But

even before the day starts, a
lot of our chef or head chef

will go to the market checkout
to noggins on the way here from

Wolfville and go to Alton's and
grab some meat and whatever is

along the way that we know is a
good stop for fresh produce, or

the best of what it does. It's
really nice to be able to use

that. And then it comes through
in the taste of everything as

well. But our chef is both our
brother, Chef and sous chef were

incredible friends this year.
They're so dynamic, bringing in

their culture and influences as
well. Our sous chef Bach who was

from who's from Vietnam, us
putting on stuffed chicken wings

with a fish sauce caramel, which
was incredible, and some

Vietnamese pancakes and just
putting a lot of twist on stuff

for specials. So every weekend,
we're doing something different,

but keeping it local, local
source, but then with a twist

and trying to blow people's
minds with some of the food that

they're pumping out.

Rhys Waters: For Shawn and
Carl's dad, Louis, it's been

amazing to see the family grow
such strong links, I have

Unknown: to say I'm really
that's the one thing that we're

very proud of, where we're
trying to engage our community

as best as we can in what we do
here. And and supporting the

community in any way we can. So
we're really thrilled. I'm

particularly happy with Sean and
Mallory, my youngest son and his

girlfriend, who've got quite
engaged with the, with the local

community. In many ways, you
know, they've been sitting on

some boards, but they also
participate in some of the

events over here and we've let
them use of compound you know,

to sell them garlic and that
type of thing, you know, is

anything we can do. We want to
be part of the community and we

want them to feel like this is
we're part of them, you know,

and it's been really a good
experience for us and we want

to, you know, we want to do
better and if their community

has any ideas We're open to
those.

Rhys Waters: For vineyard
manager, Pete the give and take

between the winery and the
community is everything.

Unknown: For us out here, it's
really a key we need to have,

even if there's one member from
a family out here that the hours

are so odd sometimes and the
harvest times are so, so

different. And we have to have
families that are able to sort

of either all work together out
here, which some of them we've

got sometimes three or four
generations from one family out

here, or we need to have
families that are supportive at

home too, for people be gone for
a 12 hour day of picking and,

and harvesting. And it's so we
find that we rely a lot on local

families who are close by to
hear for our picking crew and

for a lot of our, our labor
throughout the season. And it's

it's it's a key to our success.
I think, too, that we have such

good support from the locals and
families around here.

Rhys Waters: The immediate
community isn't the only group

that supports the winery, from
the moment they took over the

sky club has been a key part of
the family.

Unknown: So we have our wine
club, which we've doubled since

we've taken ownership. So we've
had a lot of enthusiasm around

that. So basically, our wine
club is four releases a year. So

March, June, September,
December, you get four bottles

of wine, depending on which
wines are in the release. It's

between 80 and $120 plus tax,
and gives them access to you

know, some unreleased stuff,
some library wines that we've

kind of, you know, we're once
available and then are tucked

away. Now. They also get 10% off
of any additional wines or

merchandise or anything they
purchase, free tastings. So just

some other little perks.

Rhys Waters: For sure the
enhanced exclusive relationship

is very special.

Shawn: Not everybody gets to
come in all the time and lives

locally enough. But there are
some Skyclan Skyclub members

that are very familiar, and they
come multiple times a summer.

And that's really wonderful
because we get to know them a

little bit more personally than
just their name on a card and

that sort of thing. So they get
free tastings they get they get

free desserts. There's lots of
benefits to it. But I think they

they love the vibes of the
winery. Either way, whether they

were Skyclub member or not, they
would come visit because the

they see how relaxing or our
atmosphere is compared to some

of the ones that might be more
off the main drag that ours is

definitely off the beaten path.
And even though we have been

getting busier and busier, we
still have our slice of heaven

that is really peaceful. So but
yeah, the sky Club is a pretty

awesome wine club thing. And
they have exclusive wines that

the public may never ever see.
And that's definitely true for

some of the wines they just
received, like the Salvino.

blown it was, I think we pretty
well sold out just yesterday

when we released it. So that's,
that's great. And I think we're

down to 20 bottles maybe. And I
know as soon as some of the

members that didn't make it to
the pickup party, and that, that

once they get to try it,
there'll be scooping up those

last and really, really quickly.
So it is it's a great exclusive

sort of club. And I know at some
point here, it's going to max

out. And that makes me sad,
because obviously, we want

everybody to be able to join.
But when we're doing small lots,

sometimes all you can do you
can't make more. It's just

whatever groups are out there,
whatever we harvest and whether

it's the sparkling or those
small ones we get from farmers

like Cape Coast vineyards, where
we can only do 350 bottles.

That's all you got. So if each
feature member buys two bottles,

it's quickly gone. It's it's
getting close to the point where

it's happening. And we've we've
been growing it pretty quickly.

And as people start to taste the
wines and then see some of the

exclusives that they can't get
their hands on. They're like

maybe I should join in before
it's too late. So yeah, it's

exciting.

Rhys Waters: One of the perks of
membership is the pickup party,

which COVID is delayed,

Unknown: we haven't been able to
have any pickup parties the last

couple of years because of COVID
of course and restrictions and

numbers etc. We've had a couple
of modified where we've booked

times over the past I think the
last two. So this the 12 will be

our first actual official, grand
reopening pickup party. And so

we're really looking forward to
that. Yeah.

Rhys Waters: After nearly two
years of ownership and lock down

being the norm Cuttino family is
finally able to welcome the

biggest advocates. It's a chilly
Sunday afternoon with the

wineries buzzing with activity.

Carl: Excuse me. I'm not sure if
you guys can all hear me. My

voice carries as well in here as
as it would have many years ago

when this operated as a church.
I'm just going to take care have

a couple of minutes because I'm
trying to greet everybody as

they come in the door. And it's
been great to be able to see all

of you face to face. Thank you
so much for coming out today.

For those of you who haven't had
a chance to meet my name is Carl

Pitino and one of the owners
here with my parents, my brother

and my wife. We've got our
fearless staff and team, our

winemaker, Ben here, helping us
carry this through. But

honestly, happy holidays.
Cheers. Thanks for coming out,

have a great time.

Rhys Waters: For the winery,
this kind of relationship with

customers is vitally important.
It allows an open dialogue.

Carl: We've worked within the
rules to have events. But none

like this non like getting the
group together smiling faces it

just lined up perfectly with the
holidays. And this time of year

when you want to be with friends
and family. So no, it's been

absolutely perfect. But yeah,
it's well overdue. And that

seems to be the same vibe. I'm
picking up from all the

customers are coming in. And
it's great to hear and great to

see. It's a great way for people
who love our wines to get a

chance to come out, try them see
each other network the things

that people have all been
missing for about, you know, a

good part of two years with a
pandemic, and get to try the

wines. And so today, they all
get complimentary wine, they all

get complimentary food, they get
a chance to you know, touch chat

with the owners tell us what
they like and dislike what

they'd like to see different get
to meet the winemaker. And it

really just becomes it's it's a
really a novel group to be part

of. Some people have been part
of it for many years, some are

brand new, and some like it for
different reasons. Some get four

bottles of wine, and they stock
it away in a cellar, and some

get four bottles of wine and
they're empty by the time the

next four come in. Right. So
it's it all depends. And but it

also gives you those, those
customers that have been around

long enough that they can tell
you, Hey, I liked this vintage

it wasn't as good as maybe two
years ago. Or maybe they'll tell

you we really enjoyed such and
such a variety one year, can you

bring that wine back. And it
means not that it doesn't mean

anything when you hear from any
other customer. But when you

hear from a customer that's
buying, you know, minimum 16

bottles of wine from you, every
year that are in a different

either rosaes, or whites or
sparklings or reds or, you know,

if they're telling you hey, this
was good, can you bring that

back and become something that
we can take that Intel chat with

our winemaker, see what grapes
we can harvest and what else we

can create to keep our
membership happening. These are

critical events to our success.
Because it really you know,

these folks leave here
hopefully, with a lasting

impression of a well run
business run and you know, buy a

nice family and, and that one's
delicious. So at the end of the

day, they're getting what they
want, and they reconnect with us

every three months, we'd love to
have them, you know, more often

without any more interruptions
from our car.

Rhys Waters: Because they taste
the new wines and get to know

the family. The Wine Club guests
are more than happy to share

that love.

Unknown: And group of our
friends. We just I don't know,

we came here on a wine tour day
one day and like we went visited

for one reason, enjoyed it. I
think we came back a second time

and enjoyed some more security
and wine. And so I just thought,

you know what, I'm like the
wine.

I'm gonna treat myself enjoy it.
And I was always going along

with her and enjoying the wine.
And she said to me one day,

she's like, you buy quite a bit
of wine. Maybe you should think

about joining so yeah, good
idea. Yeah.

Well, in all honesty, there was
a wine that I want it that

wasn't available to the general
public. And it was unfortunately

sold out. But I was told that in
future releases, there might be

also something that was
something similar. So that's why

I actually do

I like the idea of supporting
the wine industry in Nova

Scotia, you know, and it's
pretty down here too. It's

really pretty drive. I stopped a
couple of balls that dropped her

drops of amber in a basket over
there. That's the last of so I'm

like Yes. Going to my stocking
this Christmas. This is so

welcoming

here. And we love the patio and
the little restaurant. So

beautiful to come and sit out
here and they have a nice menu,

but they change it up and add
something on a regular basis.

You know, of course, then
they'll post that online and you

see it and you think oh, we need
to go again.

I think is extremely important
and it feels really good. That

we can support local and that
the wineries that are popping up

in and around the area. You
know, it's like a mini Niagara

region and to continue to
support and grow the wineries in

the area in particular Avondale
sky, you know, it's, it's, it's

great spot, great facility
wines. Fantastic. We really

enjoy it.

The family like it. They're just
so friendly and welcoming and I

don't know we're just enjoy
coming here. There's twittery be

like that, like,

I know, it's like they they know
people's names in a very short

period of time and just makes
you feel, you know, makes you

feel welcome.

Well, I just met John yesterday,
she's a good friend and a good

friend of mine, and I'm new to
Nova Scotia. So I came out to

meet her, and she brought me
here, and I love the Sauvignon.

And then I was gonna base and
then I had to become a member.

So I did he, they are again, to
these two days.

So we decided, because all we
really knew about wine is Oh, I

like it, or I don't like it. We
thought perhaps it's time to

learn. Because truly, we're not
educated. So we are learning.

And it's wonderful. And, and
what it has done is like, why

don't we just bought a bottle of
wine was $75. We've never done

that in our life. I went from
not liking any rent, and just

suddenly advancing and now I
liked the new pour in the new

port reserve. And then I've
discovered that I really do like

the more expensive wines.

It's about, it's about the
tastes. And you really get

there's a specific flavor and
all the wine. And they're very

well balanced. And these are
mainly two reasons why we love

the one and why we became
members of the winery. But I

must also say that there's
another reason why we became

members of the club. It's after
these guys took the business

because we knew that the winery
before they took the business

but after they took the
business, they kind of transform

it into something more like a
community. And this is what I

like, like first time we first
time we came after they took the

business it was like they had a
new menu, new food very tasty

food, food, mainly coming from
different local businesses. And

I am I really enjoyed it. And
their father took us on a tour.

It was very, it was you know,
very simplistic kind of family.

And basically this all convinced
says it's okay, like we just

love the place. So let's become
members

Rhys Waters: and it's not just
club members here. Andre has a

vineyard near Mahone Bay, about
90 minutes away and supplies the

winery.

Unknown: Yeah, we're strictly
growers. So we don't have our

own winery. We do keep a few 100
pounds for ourselves just to

make our own amateur wine,
including your own carboy Sonia

blah. But, you know, we really
liked partnering with Avondale

sky because we're a very small
vineyard. And there are a

smallish winery, and very
informal, really nice. And when

we first started to think about
establishing a vineyard back in

2012, we had a few good tips and
pointers from Ben here and the

previous owners. And so they're
really, really nice, and the new

owners are really nice. So no,
it seems to be a match made in

heaven. There's a lot of work to
growing grapes in Nova Scotia. I

mean, while we do have a
suitable climate, we do have

suitable soils, you still have
to do a lot because this is

really a marginal area in terms
of it's a fairly cold growing

area. So we do have to put a
little bit more effort into

wrapping the fruit. So given the
amount of work that we put into

it to see it being appreciate it
is this phenomenal actually, it

really it really does make our
day

Rhys Waters: chef Tom was
excited to be called in to

create some special dishes to
pay with a wine.

Dominic: My name is Dominic
pedulla, and I'm here with food

fantastic. And I'm here today as
a collaboration with the other

sky winery and supplying a food
for the event for the wine club

event. So the theme of it was
like a musical like kind of like

just having like a Christmas
celebration to go with the wine.

So we pair like we had a meeting
and we come up with a venue that

was going to go well with the
wine so what we serve today was

a homemade gravlax Salman that
was marinated with local gin and

mustard local honey, sugar and
dill and salt so that was a

marinated for 48 hours like just
to get that nice status oh man,

and it was serving on the
homemade crostini with like dill

and capers and pickled red
onion. Then also we decided to

go with pachora and Some Indian
flavor to go with the with one

of the one that they had that
was really good. So we make like

homemade pachora with local root
vegetables. And then we had

local charcuterie from local
cheese and we finished with a

Italian appetizer that is a
Ecklund Ko, Ko kupuna. And it is

like a eggplant that is cooked
with tomato, celery caper olives

and just sort of cold nice and
it's not it's nice and acidic.

It is one always one of the fun
exercise is pairing the food

and, you know, because they have
the wine made and it's always

like a key let's not let's think
outside the box with the food

and what can we do outside the
box that like will complement

the wine and also open the ears
and the eyes of the people about

what can be done like, you know,
most people don't see that Paco,

right and wine or Indian food
and wine goes well together. And

yet like it was a perfect,
perfect pairing. So, as a chef,

it's like tasting the wine. It's
like what which buys and how to

spice up the food that it will
not be overpowering. So it's

always a nice challenge that
they enjoy.

Rhys Waters: For winemaker, Ben.
It's been a fun exercise.

Unknown: It's always fun working
with different chefs too,

because I mean, we've we've had
a few different chefs through in

the kitchen here and guest chefs
and caterers as well. And so

this is the first time I've
actually got to enjoy something

that the Dom's prepared
specifically for the wine club,

and he came out and met with
Shawn and myself just to chat

about, you know, what the wines
were, and he gets a taste

through the wines. And then, you
know, I really didn't, I didn't

have to give him too much
advice. He knows what he knows

what he's doing. Just you know,
a couple of warnings here,

they're like, oh, this I would
avoid these these particular

things. And but he uh, he had a
pretty clear vision of what what

he thought he would want to do
based on tasting through the the

four wines, so it's nice to see
it all come together. And once.

Once everybody's through here, I
look forward to tasting through

it myself.

Rhys Waters: And as soon as the
wine club got a chance to hang

out with Ben, they were
desperate to find out what's

next.

Unknown: A lot of the comments
are just sort of like, Oh, I

really liked this one or Oh,
like, I think I like this, which

is better or, and then a lot of
people are just curious, like,

what, what new and weird or
different things are coming like

what what have you got tucked
away down in the cellar, and I

don't, I don't like to talk too
much about it. Because you never

know how things are gonna turn
out sometimes. And that like

I've got quite a few things that
I think will be neat and

interesting. But I want to make
sure that I finish them off

proper first before I talk too
much about them.

Rhys Waters: As the bottles of
wine vanish and the sky club

members head home, it's time for
reflection.

Unknown: We're really pleased
with the turnout. Didn't expect

to see this many people come for
their pickup. But that has

really made our day. Superb, a
lot of good, good, I'd say good

75% of the people have come to
pick up their their wine with

start tremendous. Whenever
you're planning something like

this, you're never sure how much
to eat, you know, how much do

you plan for food, but it was an
open invitation to our members.

It's been long coming in two
years of Spartan pickups. This,

this makes up for it. If we can
keep our, you know, our

community engaged and happy and
participating in these events. I

hope they'll come out. And you
know, when they're thinking of

an afternoon or a weekend or
bringing friends over that they

think of us amongst others. I
mean, I there are some beautiful

wineries. Our sister wineries
are quite spectacular as well.

But we like to think that we've
got something to offer here in

terms of the scenery, the family
run business, just Yeah, well I

think we've got something
special

it was nice. They enjoyed the
food they enjoyed the wine they

enjoyed even seeing each other
because some of these sky club

members have been members for
quite some time. Some are newer

ones that have come in since
we've purchased the winery. So

it's been really nice for them
to see what it's like as well. I

get to put a face to a name
because otherwise, you know if

they didn't come in, it would
just be a name to me unless I

knew them personally so this way
it's really nice. I would think

it's a big success. I never like
to say 10 out of 10 But But 9.5

out of 10 is pretty good where
I'm concerned but I want to get

to the 10

Rhys Waters: the family know
that together they built

something really special.

Unknown: We're a boutique why?
Henry. And so, you know, right

now we produce about 5000 cases
a year. That's what we can

handle for our aerospace. I
think that is our niche. I think

people enjoy and appreciate the
boutique feel the history of the

church, and then our family now
and our story, you know, people

who come and see us so hands on
and see, for owners, I'm not

there as much as I'd like to be
because I'm here with my little

family. But I think people
really see that and really

appreciate that and really feel
that

Rhys Waters: the excitement and
passion comes from the knowledge

that the best is yet to come.

Unknown: You know, we had a tour
that came this summer from

Antigonish, we actually all
happen to be there that day, the

kids had set up a lemonade
stand, and they were selling

lemonade, and all the people
were coming in, they were like,

you know, you guys are the
sweetest little things. Shawn

was giving a, you know, giving
his guided tasting, Luna vieler

waiting the tables and Carl and
it was just it's just really

nice. And I think people really
appreciate that. And I think

especially after the last couple
of years that we've had just

just being close and having that
closeness with each other. And I

think that was Karl's big thing,
too, when we were buying this

was that, to have this, you
know, working towards this A, it

doesn't feel like work when you
love it, and be to have it to

know that it's gonna go to your
children, you know, that's it

makes it completely different
than just a regular job.

It was not even it was It wasn't
there was no concept of, of

being in any of any kind of
business. Here, my intention was

to sort of retire and do
something just mundane. I didn't

want to be sitting behind a
desk, I didn't want to be doing

any good, productive work. I
just wanted to do something

purely mundane. So hobby farm
came to mind, you know. And so

this is a farm. It's not a
hobby. It's it's definitely, but

I'm treating it as a hobby. It's
fun for me. Nevertheless,

the thing I'm most proud of, is
the skills that we all bring the

enthusiasm, the. And, of course,
my sons and daughters, and the

fact I get to see my
grandchildren, and I see them

looking to harvest in the
vineyard. I mean, that is so

beautiful to get kids that
excited about being in nature.

Carl: You know, the long term
plan is, you look at it as a

family run business now and we
continue to hope it always is a

family run business. And my kids
will you know, they love the

wonder they love going to the
winery and it daddy went from

being dressed up in suits and
ties when he was leaving and

that Dad Are you going to
Toronto? Are you going to a

meeting to I'm leaving in jeans?
And are you going to the winery,

I can be going anywhere leaving
the house, especially during the

last two years and like are you
going to the winery, you know

and and they want to come they
don't mind that it's a 40 minute

drive. They love getting there
they love seeing their family

when they're there they love
seeing vino Of course. And then

if you find that that bone in
your body that says you know

what, I want to learn business
or I want to learn marketing or

I want to learn event planning.
Those options are all

possibilities with us are right
into agriculture, right? Like

there's all kinds of cool things
that we're still learning every

day. So you know for us, you
know, we're building our future

every day.

Unknown: Thanks for listening
guys.

Shawn: Hope you enjoyed the
story and we look forward to

meeting you in person at the
winery.

Carl: If you'd like to follow us
on any of our social media

platforms, please visit us at
Avondale sky.com And we look

forward to sharing a glass with
you at beautiful Newport

landing.

Shawn: Cheers Cheers this has
been

Rhys Waters: a Podstarter
production