We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Bill Holden a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Bill, thanks for joining us today. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

I had made wine as a hobby for over a decade with the goal of eventually owning a commercial winery. When I turned 55, my internal clock told me it was time to take the leap. I was living in Nashville at the time leading an IT Team for a Fortune 100 company. I had befriended the local wine shop owners during my time there and attended every wine tasting that I could, often times having dinner with the winemakers they would bring in. Prior to that, I had visited wineries in some of the best winemaking regions in the country – Napa Valley, Oregon’s Willamette Valley, the Finger Lakes, and Ohio Wine Country among others. Always observing, collecting ideas, and meeting with the winery owners and winemakers whenever possible.

After attending a destination wedding at a winery in the summer of 2017, any lingering doubts I may have had vanished. I knew it was time. When I got back at Nashville, I started searching for wineries for sale in Ohio Wine Country along Lake Erie. I grew up in Northeast Ohio and had visited numerous wineries when in the area visiting my family. I had witnessed the improving wine quality over the previous decade as growers transitioned from juice grapes to European vitis vinifera varieties. My family all still live in the area, and the barriers to entry were relatively low, especially compared to the West coast.

My search led me to Buccia Vineyard. An established winery and bed and breakfast. The couple that founded the winery were ready to retire and had been attempting to sell the operation for a couple of years. Although it was only 20 minutes from the family farm where I grew up, I had never visited Buccia. But it seemed to check all the boxes – location, established winery, estate vineyards, a lodging business, and a house on the property. So I planned a visit over the Independence Day holiday weekend. What I found was a lot of potential and a whole lot of work. It was going to be a big move. It would meaning leaving a great job, selling a home that I loved in East Nashville, and leaving behind a city and a lifestyle that I absolutely loved. But it felt right. So I got busy doing my due diligence. The operation had supported a family for 39 years. The only employees were the owners. They are great people and they live simply and happily. I had a bigger vision. It would require a significant investment to renovate the facilities and expand the vineyard and wine list. My goals included making award-winning wines, hosting weddings and events, and offering live music regularly, and offering food along with the wines. It was going to be a significant transition.

After a couple more trips and a couple of rounds of negotiations, we entered into a purchase agreement in August. I couldn’t risk disclosing my plans to my employer along the way. It was important that I stayed on through the year-end. The deal included a management agreement for the previous owners to manage the business through the end of the year. That agreement bought be time to securing financing for the purchase, get a primary residence and rental property listed and wrap up projects at the my employer. I was also the Board President at the wonderful Nashville Jazz Workshop and I wanted to do a proper handoff with an organization that was near and dear to my heart.

Leaving a job along with a city and lifestyle that I loved, saying good bye to amazing friends, selling and buying properties to own my own business – it was a going to be a substantial and risky transition. But I knew I would regret it if I didn’t try.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I left the corporate world after 36 years to pursue a dream of growing grapes, making world-class wine, and owning my own business. I grew up on a farm a farm and made wine as a hobby, but I had scant knowledge of commercial wine-making or caring for a vineyard. With the help of a couple mentors and the support of Ohio State University’s Oenology and Viticulture extension team, I was able to successfully transition to growing grapes and making award winning wines from estate grown fruit.

Buccia Vineyard Winery and Bed and Breakfast is a boutique family winery. We offer a variety of fine wines, craft beer and cocktails in a laid-back tasting room. Buccia is proud to host live music, weddings, reunions and other special events. Our rustic refined suite style rooms are surrounded by our estate vineyards. Our all-suite B&B features in-room hot tubs, kitchenettes and private baths.

Located in Northeast Ohio, our picturesque vineyards and grounds are influenced by the maritime climate of Lake Erie and Conneaut Creek.

Our wines have earned medals in the Ohio Wine Competition, Great American International Wine Competition, and Finger Lakes International Wine Competition. And we are extremely proud to have been awarded a Double Gold medal for our 2024 Pinto Gris in the recently held San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

Shortly after acquiring Buccia, we constructed a wine club. While wine clubs are not uncommon, the ability to provide discounted lodging to our wine club members is something most wineries don’t have the ability to offer. In addition addition to the discounted lodging, club members receive discounts on food, merchandise and special events. There is no cost to join the club. Members commit to purchase a case of wine annually in quarterly installments.

Do you have any stories of times when you almost missed payroll or any other near death experiences for your business?

Like most businesses in the world, COVID was initially a time of great anxiety. The state of Ohio closed all bars and restaurants for six weeks. It was our 3rd year in business under my ownership. Despite some great uncertainty for a while, we emerged stronger. 2020 and 2021 ended up being our best years. We then had to readjust when the rest of the world reopened!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bucciavineyards.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bucciavineyard/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/www.bucciavineyard/

Image Credits

Brandi Papania Photography
Chris Cannon Photography