LOMPOC, Calif. -- Vitner Richard Longoria is looking to open a new wine crush facility on the
south side of Lompoc, making it the third winery in that area.
Longoria has owned a
winery in the industrial part of the city known as the Lompoc Wine Ghetto for 13
years but now he's got his sights on the South side.
The new facility on Chestnut
Ave will have a tasting room, offices and an extra room to hold dinner. The back
of the property is where Longoria will build a production facility of about
4,500 square feet where the processing, fermentation, aging and bottling of the
wine will take place.
The deal went through three weeks
ago with the city granting his conditional use permit.
"It will create more wine and
that will create some more sales tax and that helps pay to run city
governments," says Lompoc Mayor John Linn. "It's going to employ some more people and expand our
already expanding wine industry."
Although, it's good news for
Lompoc, uncertainty does arise for small business owners, as the country tries
to deal with the fiscal cliff.
Under the fiscal cliff deal,
Longoria says he will be able to keep business tax breaks that include equipment
cost and real estate deduction which he says will help in the expansion.
"Even though, we're kind of at a risky time, I
still feel confident that both the general economy and the winery will do well
in the coming years," says Longoria.
The new facility building is empty right now
and Longoria still needs to work on construction but he expects the winery to
open sometime in September.
