Board gives Ozark pair approval to run winery
Posted on Friday, July 18, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/adg/News/231630/
The Alcoholic Beverage Control Board granted Leslee Post a small farm winery permit for Claire Benet Cellars to manufacture and sell in her garage on Buelah Land Drive in Ozark.
Leslee Post and her husband, Alex Post, were denied the permit in May by division director Michael Langley, who cited opposition from neighbors and concerns about meeting state Health Department requirements. On Wednesday, the board overturned Langley’s decision in a 4-1 vote.
The permit allows the Claire Benet Cellars to produce up to 5, 000 gallons of wine in its first year. A small farm winery can produce up to 250, 000 gallons of wine per year with up to 21 percent alcoholic content. The Posts applied to produce 5, 000 gallons and will have to reapply after one year if they want to increase production.
Leslee Post told the five-member board that if granted the permit they would begin preparing their garage to pass a Health Department inspection. She said they didn’t want to spend the money to make modifications if they weren’t going to be granted permission to make wine.
One of the Posts’ neighbors, Larry Harris, attended the meeting and spoke for those opposed to the permit. He said about a dozen neighbors opposed granting the permit because they didn’t want to set a precedent that would allow everyone to set up home businesses.
The board considered testimony from the Posts and Harris that included: The subdivision covenants for homeowners forbid any business that isn’t related to agriculture or horticulture. Therefore, a homebased accounting firm, for example, would not be allowed. The size of the properties involved. The Posts live on about 37 acres, Harris lives on about 29 acres and on average each house sits on at least five acres. There will be no heavy equipment. The Posts will start with unfinished wine, bottle it by hand and take it in private vehicles to an appropriate shipping firm. The area is remote and there will be no signs, which also forbidden by subdivision covenants, therefore an increase in traffic is unlikely.
Alex Post said he has been the wine maker for Altus-based Post Familie Vineyards for 29 years. While telling the board he was not leaving his job with his family’s vineyard, he said “We want to get started as a couple in the wine business and this is the most economical way for us to do that.”
After granting the permit, Ron Fuller, the board chairman and the one person to vote against it, warned the Posts to be good neighbors, because too many complaints would require the board to revisit the case and possibly revoke the permit.