Didn’t they invest a bunch of money into the area and clean things up? They tried a bunch of stuff that had t worked out like they thought but I’m not sure how it’s worse off than it was before they.JaneJacobsGhost wrote: ↑Feb 06, 2024Hoffman’s are unloading everything now. What a catastrophe. It will take years for the wine trail to recover from this, if ever.
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No, they did not “clean things up” because there was no mess. They bought a bunch of the wineries and made some kitsch investments around town.
They scrapped their most ambitious plans about a year ago and have since begun closing or selling everything. Including wineries.
And it’s worse off because these bespoke businesses (which have always been labors of love and not cash cows) hang in the balance and could be lost. Augusta represents a tremendous quality of life enhancement for our region, whether you like the wine or not, and to see its future threatened by this “family” of investors is heartbreaking.
They scrapped their most ambitious plans about a year ago and have since begun closing or selling everything. Including wineries.
And it’s worse off because these bespoke businesses (which have always been labors of love and not cash cows) hang in the balance and could be lost. Augusta represents a tremendous quality of life enhancement for our region, whether you like the wine or not, and to see its future threatened by this “family” of investors is heartbreaking.
What winery did he sell or close?JaneJacobsGhost wrote: ↑Feb 06, 2024No, they did not “clean things up” because there was no mess. They bought a bunch of the wineries and made some kitsch investments around town.
They scrapped their most ambitious plans about a year ago and have since begun closing or selling everything. Including wineries.
And it’s worse off because these bespoke businesses (which have always been labors of love and not cash cows) hang in the balance and could be lost. Augusta represents a tremendous quality of life enhancement for our region, whether you like the wine or not, and to see its future threatened by this “family” of investors is heartbreaking.
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I believe it was Balducci for the season. You can check the P-D article. They put most on reduced hours. Measures not taken by the previous owners who were obviously not worth hundreds of millions.
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I think trying to not pay contractors after the work is done burn a lot of goodwill.
The Napa valley of the Midwest claim was always a little eye-rolling.
They had some good ideas like the free shuttle between wineries, but others that were bad like the river cruise boats. Well maybe not bad ideas but it was putting the cart way before the horse.
There has also been a ton of expansion in the winery space in the last few decades. There was bound to be a culling. SO i don't know if it ALL can be laid at the Hoffman's feet.
The Napa valley of the Midwest claim was always a little eye-rolling.
They had some good ideas like the free shuttle between wineries, but others that were bad like the river cruise boats. Well maybe not bad ideas but it was putting the cart way before the horse.
There has also been a ton of expansion in the winery space in the last few decades. There was bound to be a culling. SO i don't know if it ALL can be laid at the Hoffman's feet.
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I think it was a pretty safe bet that MO wine country would have kept right on rolling along had the Hoffmans not stepped in.
Augusta, Washington and Defiance were doing just fine before them. With the original owners gone, they ones that organically imbued the region with life and economy, it could be left a shell of its former self.
i think we can safely lay all of it at the Hoffman's feet.
Augusta, Washington and Defiance were doing just fine before them. With the original owners gone, they ones that organically imbued the region with life and economy, it could be left a shell of its former self.
i think we can safely lay all of it at the Hoffman's feet.