Today we’d like to introduce you to Ronald Bas.
Hi Ronald, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
Bastian’s Vineyards is a boutique winery located in Highland Valley, an up-and-coming wine region in Escondido. The winery sits on 5 beautiful acres with over 1,000 vines planted. The property is surrounded by beautiful hills with light afternoon breezes. Bastian’s opened its winery in August 2020 for tastings. We currently offer 5 wines for tasting, glasses, and bottle sales on Saturday and Sundays from 12 pm to 5 pm.
The first vineyard was planted in the spring of 2016 followed by 50 olive trees in 2017 and the remaining vines planted in 2018. The 5 varietals grown are Grenache, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Viognier, and Mourvedre.
Winemaker and farmer Ron Bas got his start as an amateur winemaker after planting 125 grapevines in his backyard in Rancho Bernardo. His wine education includes classes from UC Davis, CSUSM, and numerous seminars.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It is tremendous amount of work to plant a vineyard, grow grapes, and fight diseases not to mention dealing with animals large and small. Life as a farmer requires daily responsibilities in the vineyard.
The second component of operating a winery is the art of winemaking. It takes years of experience including many failures before a winemaker becomes skilled at his or her craft.
The third aspect of operation a winery is the business end. The accounting and regulatory filings are numerous.
Who is in charge of the tasting room? Advertising, websites, and social media are important considerations. A person has to have the financial bandwidth to sustain losses for a number of years.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Bastian’s is a boutique winery and strives on personnel service and wine education. When visiting the winery, you will have the opportunity to talk directly to the winegrape grower and winemaker.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Develop a good business plan. Operating a winery is an expensive endeavor. Make sure you have the necessary capital.
Pricing:
- Bottles $30
- Tastings $15
- Glass of wine $8
Contact Info:
- Email: bastiansvineyards@gmail.com
- Website: https://bastiansvineyards.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bastiansvineyards
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bastiansvineyards
