As published in Development News - December 1, 2020
Rendering of Urban Pine Winery's new facility in Maumee
Urban Pine Winery, led by franchise group McAlear Winery LLC and owned by Jen McAlear, has finalized its location at 3415 Briarfield Boulevard in the former Abuelos building in Maumee’s Briarfield Business Park, directly visible from I-475. After renovations are complete, the 8,352 square foot winery is scheduled to open early next year.
Urban Pine Winery is a franchise of Waters Edge Wineries, an urban winery system bringing the culture of wine to communities across the country, according to McAlear. The winery was previously looking to open in an approximately 5,000 square foot Levis Commons location, but negotiations fell through.
According to McAlear, the goal was to be located in the Maumee, Perrysburg, or Sylvania area, and when this location became available, it was a perfect fit.
“Through the process of finding a location after the first one didn’t work out, I was still aiming for something in the Maumee, Perrysburg, or Sylvania area, and the new location is right in the center of that. I’m actually most excited about this location because it’s very central and right off of I-475. So it will be very convenient for all the guests to come visit us,” said McAlear.
Construction is underway on the building, with Pontiac, Michigan-based TDG Architects, Pemberville, Ohio-based interior designer Ashley Skowron, and Toledo-based Canaan Construction providing services.
Rendering of Urban Pine Winery's
new facility in Maumee
Urban Pine Winery will be offering all of its wines made directly on-site with a bistro menu to complement each of its offerings. According to McAlear, the winery will start with 10-15 wines, but will work its way up to 30-35 different wines.
McAlear noted that behind the bar, there will be a wall of windows in which guests can look into the winemaking area and see the stainless steel tanks producing the wine. Eventually, guests will be able to learn about the process of making wine and how everything is made.
In addition, with the larger space at the Maumee location, guests looking to host gatherings can enjoy a private party space or patio outdoor areas to spend time with family and friends.
“Because we have so much extra square footage, we’re excited to have that pretty large private party space. It’ll be completely dedicated to special events – anniversaries, birthday parties, meetings, and anything like that. We’ll also have a private patio that goes with it. We are very excited for those areas because there’s not a lot of private party spaces in the area. The building doesn’t currently have a public patio space, so we’re putting that all in. And with COVID-19, that’s even more important than normal,” said McAlear.
The winery will also be selling club memberships that include special deals, discounts, wine tastings, and bottles of wine, depending on the type of membership. Memberships will include the Founders Club, Sangria Club, Gold Wine Club, and the Platinum Wine Club.
Urban Pine will also offer custom labeling for birthdays, anniversaries, corporate gifts, and weddings. Throughout each month, the winery will also offer a schedule of events including paint and wine nights, live music, chocolate and wine pairings, trivia nights, and other special events, noted McAlear.
At full capacity, the winery will be able to hold 150 guests. McAlear is estimating that 20 jobs will be created due to the winery as well.
“With our wine being made on-site, the relaxing atmosphere we are trying to create, and a staff that will be ready to serve and make guests’ experiences the best it can be, it will be a great place for people to come and visit. We’re just really excited. This project has been almost a two-year undertaking so far and the support from the community already has been amazing. People are so excited. I’m just excited to start making wine,” concluded McAlear.