Owner of 105 West Brewing Co. Ventures into Winemaking

By Jay McKinney

Craft breweries might not have killed homebrewing, but with so many great ones across the state, there has been a decline in the hobby. That’s why the owner of 105 West Brewing Company, Eric Seufert, decided to close his homebrewing shop and venture into a new realm of booze: wine.

Bear’L Cellars is now located next door to the popular 105 West Brewing Co. in Castle Rock, occupying the space that was formerly Seufert’s homebrewing shop. After declaring that homebrewing had seen its peak, he decided to close the shop and focus on improving his brewery. Seufert had a desire to convert the business from a brewery to a brewpub, which would also allow the sale of wine.

“We consider 105 West to be a gathering place for all and we know that wine would help many of our customers get together as some may not like beer,” Seufert says.

Seufert’s manager at the homebrew shop, Larry Quinn, just happened to be an avid home winemaker with 12 consecutive years of experience. Although he started out making kit wine, over the years his passion grew, and he now owns a 5-barrel winemaking setup. His latest vintage required 2,000 pounds of grapes for production.

When Seufert informed Quinn of his wish to offer wine at the brewery, Quinn invited him to his house to taste his products. Seufert liked what he tasted, and they decided it would be advantageous to make their own wine and utilize the space they had at the homebrew shop. With the decision, Quinn found himself shifting titles from Homebrewing Shop Manager to Head Winemaker at Bear’L Cellars.

“It’s kind of a pretentious title because I’m the only person down there right now,” Quinn says. “I do everything. I mop the floor, I make the wine, I clean the bathroom. I keep it going.”

While it may be in its humble beginning stage, Seufert and Quinn envision Bear’L Cellars to grow in two directions with separate grades of wine. The reserve wines that will be bottled and sold in the future, include a limited-run Cabernet Sauvignon, an Old Vine Zinfandel and a Pinot Noir/Petite Sirah blend. However, most of the wine produced will be sold on tap at 105 West Brewing Co. and include a house red, house white, a Prosecco-style sparkling wine and a sparkling cider.

“Our goal in the near term is to make very good house reds and whites at an affordable price per glass,” Seufert says. “In the long term, we want to make some reserve releases and eventually make an additional tasting area that is more designed for tasting events and private events. I'd expect that in 2024 if all goes well.”