Now the Dotys plan to move into a 9,000-square-foot facility in French
Lick that is big enough to allow them to provide visitor tours. The
new facility also will house a gift shop, delicatessen and coffee shop.
The Dotys had considered opening their winery in Jasper or Santa Claus,
Ind., but settled in French Lick after getting some advice from Purdue
faculty members.
"Purdue has been an invaluable resource for us," Kim says.
"Richard Vine (professor of food science) helped us select French
Lick because it is such a popular tourist destination."
They also rely on the research of Bruce Bordelon (assistant professor
of horticulture) for advice on which grape varieties will flourish under
Indiana's extreme weather conditions. And Ellie Harkness in the wine
lab is an invaluable resource when they have a problem with a batch
of wine.
The Dotys hope to add a greenhouse to their business for Kim to operate,
although that may be a few years away.
"I've still got 11 years to go before I retire from the U.S. Postal
Service (she's postmaster in nearby Dubois) before I think about that,"
Kim says.
The new winery will certainly keep John busy in his "retirement."
He figures he spends 40 percent of his time working the vineyard, another
40 percent of his time working at the winery, and 30 percent of his
time taking care of the livestock.
John may be the retired banker, but it's his wife who quickly does
the math and figures all those numbers add up to 110 percent.
"Yeah," John laughs, "I'd say that's about right."
Not bad for being retired.
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