Keswick Vineyards & Three Notch'd Brewery In Late Stage Negotiations; Deal Could Change Central VA Brewery/Vineyard Marketplace

Keswick Vineyards and Three Notch’d Brewing Company are nearing the finalization of a deal that will dramatically impact vineyards, wineries and breweries around Charlottesville and Central Virginia.

Keswick CEO & Owner Al Schornberg told us on The I Love CVille Show that his team is in late-stage negotiations with Scott Eric Roth, Derek Naughton and Dave Warwick of Three Notch’d Craft Kitchen & Brewery.

If the two parties can finalize this deal, we can soon expect Three Notch’d draft beer at Keswick Vineyards, including a specialty brew that you can only find in the Keswick tasting room. In turn, Three Notch’d will serve and sell Keswick Vineyards wines at their Charlottesville brewery and taproom.

I FREAKIN’ LOVE THIS DEAL!! Here’s my analysis why this is a win-win arrangement for both parties:

(1). Stephen Barnard, the winemaker at Keswick Vineyards, and Dave Warwick, the brewmaster at Three Notch’d, are literally two of the best at their professions on the entire East Coast. Seriously, these dudes win big-time awards for the booze they create.

When two big-time brands that are at the top of their respective games enter into a joint venture, the marketplace should be the beneficiary because more options are being created for customers to enjoy. There are times when I have visited Keswick Vineyards with my wife and our friends, and I have thought, “Man, I would love to sip a Minute Man IPA or a Biggie Smores Imperial Stout.” Hey, I’m a beer guy first, and you know what, there are a lot of us out there, especially us males.

Now, that being said, when we go to Three Notch’d, which is like 4-5 times per month now, my wife and some of her friends will often want white or red wine instead of craft beer. Usually, the conversation shifts to Keswick Vineyards because this team creates some of the best wine in Virginia.

If this joint venture is finalized, then all of us as customers will be the beneficiary because we have more options to spend our disposable income on.

(2). I am closely following what Ed Pierce and his family (Andy Pierce and Christian Pierce) are doing at Meriwether Springs Vineyard & Brewery. The Pierce Family is trying to revolutionize the vineyard/brewery game in Charlottesville by combining BOTH a brewery and vineyard in the SAME TASTING ROOM and LOCATION!!

It’s freakin’ genius, baby!

The Pierce Family has built an epicenter of fun in Ivy. When I go there with my family and friends, I see people enjoying wine, some folks drinking beer, others eating flatbread pizzas and sports fans cheering their favorite teams on flat screen TV positioned all over the place. They also allow food trucks on grounds.

The Pierce Family has successfully meshed a vineyard with a brewery with a full-service restaurant with a sports bar. Think about it. Ed Pierce, I love this idea so, so much, homie!

I think the “meshing of concepts” is the future of tasting rooms and taprooms across the country. Today’s customer has zero patience. They know what they want, and they want it right now. If Al and his team and Scott and his team can offer their customers more options just like The Pierce Family is doing at Meriwether Springs, then that’s good news for all parties involved.

Here’s another example: Short Pump Town Center is very, very successful because it’s a “lifestyle center.” You can visit Short Pump for shopping, for eating, for drinking, for movies, for fun, for pretty much anything you want. Hence the “lifestyle center” moniker.

Tasting rooms and taprooms of 2019 better follow suit, or they will be left in the dust. If you’re not adapting your model away from, essentially, the “bar model” to the “lifestyle bar model,” then you will lose, lose and lose some more.

Give Al and Scott a lot of credit for similar thinking. Both guys have the balls, the courage and the vision to make changes and stay ahead of the market’s needs. As a result, I think both Keswick Vineyards and Three Notch’d Brewing Company will enjoy success with this deal and will eventually set the stage for future vineyard/brewery partnerships across Central Virginia.

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