428

You could spend years learning about the art and science of winemaking, yet rare are the classes that teach the business side of owning a winery. Even if you were inclined to sign up for one, the fact is that most enology and viticulture programs offer little in the way of instruction on the financial aspects of winemaking.

Most wine-program graduates can wax eloquently about fermentation science, sensory evaluation, and canopy-management techniques, but ask them what it costs to plant an acre of cabernet or invite them to produce a three-year cash-flow analysis for start-up winery, and you are likely to get that desperate, deer-in-the-headlights look. The fact is if these grads had taken a business class focusing on the balance sheets — the profit and loss — of a winery, many would chuck that dream of going into the biz. It’s a daunting, deep-pocket venture.

But that challenge didn’t faze Jeff Sully, who is the owner/winemaker of Walla Walla Airport Complex’s 428 Wines on weekends and an accountant during the week. I first met Jeff at the end of tax season in April, when he was busy working his “second harvest” à la IRS. He and his wife, Kim Sully, had the intestinal fortitude to relocate from California to Walla Walla to open a winery and pursue his accountant practice. Turns out, Jeff’s résumé includes stints as the chief financial officer for a California winery, a consultant for the U.S. Department of Commerce, and various financial management positions in the Finger Lakes region of New York. When Jeff mentioned he would be teaching a business class at Walla Walla Community College’s Institute for Enology and Viticulture, I winced, thinking that he might scare some students from pursuing their dream. But then I reconsidered: The fact that he has launched his own winery would give students some encouragement.

The 428 (read “four-two-eight”) winery gets its name from the street address of Kim’s childhood home. For most of us, the thought of our childhood home brings memories of joy and fun, and the Sullys wanted the customers of 428 to have those same feelings when experiencing their wines — most of them delectable red blends. In keeping with the street theme, Jeff’s initial releases bear the name “Boulevard.” At least he didn’t call them “Cash Flow Red” or “Break Even Cuveé” — that would probably not have been a wise business decision.