Yesterday was a rollercoaster ride for the Aaronap Cellars household. Work was the usual pell mell dash so I was a tad exhausted when I came home. Neither Shawna nor I felt like making dinner or eating left overs so we headed out for dinner. I took her to one of my favorite restaurants in Chelmsford and we had a lovely dinner of Spanish tapas at Cafe Madrid (the spinach & cheese empanadas & pork loin were awesome). After enjoying a lovely glass of granacha (her) and monastrell (me), we wandered home and I opened my Aaronap Cellars email account...
To find an email from the TTB announcing that the Basic Permit for Aaronap Cellars had been approved!!!
After gaping at the screen with an open mouth for a few moments, I yelped like a fool, which brought Shawna running. A couple of big hugs later, I was finally calm enough to think.
"Oh my God, I own a federally licensed winery!"
The absolutely amazing part was how quickly this happened. I submitted the application on March 11 and less than 17 business days later, it was approved. I definitely have to credit my TTB agent Heather with an excellent customer-service approach. We had a few back-n-forths about some details that needed amended and she fixed them for me on the application! After my recent brush with the faceless bureaucracy that is the IRS, this dealing with the Federal government was eye-openingly refreshing.
Of course, this means that I need to get my rear in gear and get moving on the state and local permits. I honestly wasn't expecting to get the TTB permit for at least another month or two, so had turned my focus to other things for a little bit. Time to refocus!
The wine to celebrate this momentous occasion? Alto Moncayo Campo de Borja Garnacha 2007, a lovely full of chocolate & black fruit aromas, silky tannins, and a bold fruity aftertaste. Yum!
Cheers,
Noel
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