Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Janice Jernigan. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Janice, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

Our mission is to offer space for folks to connect with nature’s simple pleasures. We envision a world where we all experience deep, whole-hearted love – for ourselves, for nature, and for each other.

The wine industry has a reputation for catering to society’s elite. This is shifting, yet many still find it intimidating to walk into a wine tasting room for the first time. We are down-to-earth folks, and want our guests to feel comfortable from the start of our interactions. To support our intent, we are creating a simple and approachable community that aims to foster a sense of belonging for all who cross our path.

Janice, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am the co-owner of Serenberry Vineyards, located in the North Georgia mountains.
Much like my corporate career, where I held roles that spanned from Accounting to the end-to-end Customer Experience, our business spans a variety of industries: agriculture, retail, service and hospitality, and wine.

Early on in our journey, my partner in life and in business, Mark, and I spent time volunteering at other vineyards and wineries, taking courses and attending conferences covering a wide-range of related topics, and traveling to wine regions to learn from winemakers producing stellar wines. We are members of wine organizations, such as Georgia Wine Producers, and have informal mentors near and far. We are always learning new and better ways of doing what we do.

We make small-batch wines, ranging from dry whites, light and heartier reds, to sweet wines. Each one of our wines is named for something meaningful to us within Fannin County, where we live and love.

We host Guided Wine Tastings, typically on the back porch of our Tasting Barn, where we educate folks about wine and the stories behind them. We offer a selection of wine flights, wine by the glass and by the bottle. We also host private vineyard and winery tours, as well as intimate outdoor events.

We love what we get to do each day, from making delectable wines to creating space for magical moments in nature.

We’d love to hear the story of how you got started, then turned your side-hustle into something much bigger.

In the summer of 2001, soon after we met, Mark took me to see the property his grandparents had purchased in the late 1950s. It included a barn from the early 1920s, which they had converted into the Little House – named for its small footprint and low ceilings. We began spending more of our weekends there, as a respite from the hustle and bustle of Atlanta and its suburbs.

In 2003, we took what seemed like a fantasy trip, and toured the provinces in Bulgaria where my husband’s family originates. Looking back, it was our initial introduction to high quality, European wines. Five years or so later, we chose to spend our first full week of vacation at the Little House. On a whim, we explored a couple of vineyards and wineries. In those days, there were very few wineries in North Georgia and they were widely scattered.

As we visited the Little House more frequently, we were taken aback by its peaceful vibe and feeling of expansiveness, a stark contrast to the city and suburbs. We soon realized how distinctive and special this is – and how rare it is for most folks to spend time in a place like this. Instantly, we knew we were meant to share this space with others. But how? We floated ideas back and forth for months, and nothing seemed to capture its true possibilities.

Then, one day, while relaxing together on our back porch swing, an idea came to us with crystal clear clarity. What if we planted grapevines? What if we made wine? What if we opened a tasting room? Should we? Could we? We began noticing the clusters of unassuming grapevines planted in backyards throughout this area. As avid researchers, we soon confirmed that, indeed, this is a wonderful climate for growing wine grapes.

Early on, we set on our path to think big and start small. We knew this would be a side hustle for the foreseeable future. Given the significant financial investment it would entail, we prioritized getting grapevines into the ground.

In the spring of 2010, we gathered a few family members and friends, and planted our first grapevines – each one by hand. We transformed the Little House into our Tasting Barn, and opened our doors in the fall of 2012. At first, it was just the two of us. We tended grapevines from sun-up to sun-down, breaking for a few hours on Saturdays to host wine tastings for guests. In early 2013, we hired a small team of folks to help us.

Fast-forward to 2018, when after nearly twenty-five years in the corporate world, the time was right for me to pursue this dream full=time. It was a pivotal year. We had outgrown our original small batch winery, and built a much larger winery to support our growing needs. A year later, we sold our house in the suburbs, exchanging our every weekend commute to the mountains for daily long-range mountain views from our home. Six months later, the world changed.

In 2020, we were humbled by how our loyal customers supported us and lots of new folks began discovering us. We expanded our outdoor seating by constructing The OAB, our open air barn, with its hand-laid stone fireplace. It was a welcome companion to our well-loved fire pit and wide open green spaces where guests love to roam.

Last year, we completed renovations on our early 1900s farmhouse, The Vineyard House, preserving its character while adding modern day comforts. We started opening it up for weekend guests, who enjoy overlooking the grapevines and its long-range mountain views. And, our ‘going solar’ wish came true, as our winery began to be powered by the sun. The sunlight captured by our grapevines now extends throughout the winemaking process, pouring more Serenberry sunshine into every bottle. It also enabled us to add a solar-powered Electric Vehicle charging station.

Every year, we hone in more on our mission. In doing so, we are creating a welcoming and engaging community of folks who love to connect with nature’s simple pleasures.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

A big lesson I have had to unlearn is the concept of benchmarking our business with other seemingly similar businesses. This was an integral part of my role when working for various large corporations, and it can be helpful in certain situations. It can also lead to a never-ending comparison to others. Left unchecked, it can spiral into chasing the next big thing or feeling like we are always coming up short. This can be physically and mentally exhausting. There are much better uses of our time and mindspace.

I remind myself, early and often, to run your own race. This serves as a gentle nudge to remember our why, what we offer, and how we offer it. Each of these are uniquely personal to us and our business, and extends far beyond the bottles of wine we make.

When guests tell us their visit to Serenberry feels like coming home, it serves as a joy-filled sign that we are on the right path.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.serenberryvineyards.com
• Instagram: @serenberryvineyards
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SerenberryVineyards/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/serenberryvineyards/