1 00:00:01,420 --> 00:00:02,350 Starting now. 2 00:00:03,050 --> 00:00:07,270 Commonalities where guests find common ground through uncommon 3 00:00:07,290 --> 00:00:10,910 conversations, politics, religion, finances, 4 00:00:11,010 --> 00:00:14,590 all the topics your grandmother told you not to discuss with friends. 5 00:00:14,930 --> 00:00:17,550 And now your host, Matthew Dowling, 6 00:00:17,770 --> 00:00:20,590 and today's guests on commonalities. 7 00:00:22,580 --> 00:00:25,710 Well, thanks for joining us on another episode of Commonalities. 8 00:00:25,710 --> 00:00:29,670 I'm host Matt Dowling. My guest today is Christian Clay, 9 00:00:29,670 --> 00:00:33,270 the namesake of the Christian W. Clay Winery in Chalk Hill, Pennsylvania, 10 00:00:33,620 --> 00:00:37,950 proprietor of Ridge Runner Distillery. Christian, 11 00:00:37,950 --> 00:00:41,870 thank you so much for being with us here today. Um, you know, I, 12 00:00:41,870 --> 00:00:46,590 I know there are a lot of visitors to the Laurel Highlands here who, 13 00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:51,510 uh, make, uh, Christian Clay Winery and Ridgerunner a staple of their visits. 14 00:00:51,930 --> 00:00:54,310 And, uh, and you guys are very active, uh, 15 00:00:54,310 --> 00:00:56,830 with the tourists that come to this area. Uh, 16 00:00:56,830 --> 00:00:59,670 I wanna thank you for being on today's program and, uh, 17 00:00:59,670 --> 00:01:02,990 and I know you have some exciting things to, to share with us. 18 00:01:03,170 --> 00:01:07,830 But let's start with kind of your background and your history. Um, 19 00:01:07,830 --> 00:01:11,550 you learned winemaking from, from your mother, Sharon, who, uh, 20 00:01:11,700 --> 00:01:15,670 many people in the community know, uh, because she's been here, uh, 21 00:01:15,670 --> 00:01:19,430 in the vineyards and, and making her wine for, for a long period of time, 22 00:01:19,690 --> 00:01:23,390 and you're now in the business of making distilled beverages. 23 00:01:23,480 --> 00:01:27,830 So tell us a little bit about, uh, your background and your passion. So, 24 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:31,870 um, yeah, I, I grew up with Christian Clay Winery, um, 25 00:01:32,820 --> 00:01:37,520 and, uh, we, uh, started, uh, we got the property in, 26 00:01:37,610 --> 00:01:41,280 in the mid eighties and started planting grape vines in 27 00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:46,520 1986. And, uh, the winery, I believe, 28 00:01:46,520 --> 00:01:50,840 opened in 1997. So really, I have been, um, 29 00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:55,360 involved with that, you know, my entire life. And I like to say, 30 00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:58,840 while I really appreciate wine, um, 31 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:03,160 what I really love is whiskey. Uh, so, you know, 32 00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:07,080 I grew up with the winery. I grew up putting booze in a bottle. Um, 33 00:02:07,490 --> 00:02:10,960 so I had a little bit of a background in that. But, uh, 34 00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:16,420 you know, around, uh, 20, uh, 12, I, 35 00:02:16,420 --> 00:02:21,260 I went down to Kentucky for a little bit, and I just started tasting bourbons, 36 00:02:21,260 --> 00:02:26,020 and I really just fell in love with bourbon whiskey. And so I started thinking, 37 00:02:26,020 --> 00:02:29,620 it's like, well, gee, if mom and dad can make their own wine, 38 00:02:29,700 --> 00:02:32,820 maybe I can make my own whiskey. Um, 39 00:02:32,950 --> 00:02:37,860 so I started going to, uh, distilleries. I started going to, 40 00:02:38,310 --> 00:02:42,860 uh, conventions. Uh, I took a couple courses on distilling. 41 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:45,020 And, um, you know, 42 00:02:45,020 --> 00:02:48,660 I thought it might be something that would be a fun hobby, 43 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:51,060 but it really just, uh, 44 00:02:51,060 --> 00:02:55,300 sort of blossomed from there into something that I decided to do as business. 45 00:02:55,910 --> 00:02:58,980 Um, it works. Uh, it compliments the winery very well. 46 00:02:59,160 --> 00:03:00,520 We're right across the street. 47 00:03:00,980 --> 00:03:05,880 I'm still really involved in wine and wine making, um, and the vineyard. 48 00:03:06,420 --> 00:03:10,960 But, uh, I really, you know, felt like I could indulge my passion for making, 49 00:03:11,170 --> 00:03:16,080 uh, good distilled products, um, as well. So that's, that's, uh, 50 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:19,160 the short story of how the distillery got started. Now, 51 00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:22,800 for those that don't know where you're located, you're on Fayette Springs Road, 52 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:24,720 like you said, just across from the winery. 53 00:03:25,260 --> 00:03:29,160 And Fayette Springs is just a short turn off of Route 40, 54 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:33,840 the National Road, uh, which comes right up over the beautiful, uh, 55 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:37,080 summit Mountains, uh, here in the Laurel Highlands. Now, 56 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:41,040 you were talking a little bit about your business and your business, uh, which, 57 00:03:41,060 --> 00:03:45,680 you know, maybe started out as a hobby continues to expand, and, uh, 58 00:03:45,680 --> 00:03:49,640 you know, you expanded to a, a full-time business where you were making product, 59 00:03:50,100 --> 00:03:54,080 and now you have an expansion of a, a beautiful new, uh, 60 00:03:54,080 --> 00:03:56,480 I'm gonna call it a glass room, because of the, uh, 61 00:03:56,620 --> 00:04:00,880 the wonderful garage doors that you have here that you're able to provide an 62 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:03,960 indoor outdoor setting, uh, for events. 63 00:04:03,960 --> 00:04:07,840 Tell us a little bit about what you'll be using the new space that we're sitting 64 00:04:07,850 --> 00:04:11,200 in for, uh, over the next summer. Um, 65 00:04:11,490 --> 00:04:14,160 so when I first started the distillery, um, 66 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:18,640 I didn't really know how we were going to interact with the public. Uh, 67 00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:22,960 you know, my, my thirst thought was gonna be, it was, you know, 68 00:04:22,960 --> 00:04:26,760 gonna be more like a factory kind of setting where, uh, you know, 69 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:30,320 we would have a few people stop in and, you know, try a few things. 70 00:04:30,530 --> 00:04:35,080 So our tasting room at the De Distillery was, uh, very small. Um, 71 00:04:35,180 --> 00:04:39,720 and, uh, we didn't have any sort of seating, indoor seating. Um, 72 00:04:40,050 --> 00:04:43,920 we have a fire pit and some benches and picnic tables outside. 73 00:04:44,780 --> 00:04:46,640 And, um, you know, 74 00:04:46,850 --> 00:04:51,680 so that got us through the first couple of years. But when, uh, 75 00:04:51,680 --> 00:04:56,280 my wife Tia became our bartender, she started making, um, 76 00:04:56,280 --> 00:05:00,720 really great cocktails, uh, using all Pennsylvania products, 77 00:05:01,290 --> 00:05:05,400 uh, based on our liquors. And, uh, sort of, 78 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:08,400 to my surprise, we started getting a lot of regulars. 79 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:11,560 We started having a big following, and, uh, 80 00:05:11,580 --> 00:05:15,680 our bar crowd really, uh, took off. Um, 81 00:05:16,170 --> 00:05:20,540 so the biggest thing was we needed a place 82 00:05:21,060 --> 00:05:25,220 under roof where, uh, people could experience, uh, 83 00:05:25,230 --> 00:05:29,660 my wife's cocktails, uh, without getting wet. Um, 84 00:05:30,150 --> 00:05:34,520 over the last several years, we've had to cancel, um, events. 85 00:05:34,520 --> 00:05:39,440 We've had to, uh, uh, cancel, um, music. We've had to, you know, 86 00:05:39,510 --> 00:05:42,840 just be at the, uh, um, 87 00:05:43,650 --> 00:05:44,960 at the mercy of the weather. 88 00:05:45,570 --> 00:05:50,080 So that was why we really wanted to do this new, uh, new addition. 89 00:05:50,490 --> 00:05:55,440 Um, we now have seating for 40 to 50 people indoors. We also have a, 90 00:05:55,440 --> 00:05:59,400 uh, uh, new, uh, 20 foot bar, um, 91 00:05:59,400 --> 00:06:03,120 that's gonna have seating as well. Um, we're u uh, 92 00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:07,000 creating a full service bar, whereas we used to only have our own cocktails. 93 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:10,920 We'll now be featuring Christian Clay wine from across the street and a 94 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:15,440 selection of, uh, Pennsylvania beers, um, for people to try. But, 95 00:06:15,930 --> 00:06:20,280 um, really, yeah, it's, it's just sort of a natural, uh, 96 00:06:20,280 --> 00:06:24,760 evolution of, of the business. And, uh, 97 00:06:24,760 --> 00:06:28,800 I think that our customers will really appreciate being able to, uh, 98 00:06:29,550 --> 00:06:33,580 uh, try our products without getting wet <laugh>. Well, and and you, 99 00:06:33,580 --> 00:06:35,620 you talk about Pennsylvania products, 100 00:06:35,620 --> 00:06:40,380 and I know that so much of what you make here is locally sourced, 101 00:06:40,380 --> 00:06:43,780 and I think that's important to a lot of people nowadays. 102 00:06:43,780 --> 00:06:48,420 People are looking for that kind of farm to table, um, experience. 103 00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:52,220 And, uh, and with your beverages, both of the winery and the distillery, 104 00:06:52,450 --> 00:06:56,940 you're using, uh, you know, fresh local ingredients, uh, 105 00:06:57,220 --> 00:07:01,340 to go into that. So tell us a little bit about, uh, about some of the, 106 00:07:01,340 --> 00:07:05,540 the items that go into making one of your distilled beverages. 107 00:07:06,030 --> 00:07:09,260 Um, so, so, yeah. So, uh, 108 00:07:10,190 --> 00:07:14,740 my parents growing up at the winery, they are very much, um, 109 00:07:14,740 --> 00:07:19,180 were all about growing, uh, the grapes from the wine here, 110 00:07:19,550 --> 00:07:22,300 um, on the property. Uh, you know, 111 00:07:22,300 --> 00:07:27,060 we still have extensive vineyards for winery, uh, about 14 acres, 112 00:07:27,060 --> 00:07:31,860 about 15,000 vines. And they really instilled to me the idea that, 113 00:07:31,960 --> 00:07:35,940 you know, we aren't here to compete with, with huge companies. 114 00:07:35,940 --> 00:07:38,940 So I'm not here to compete with Jack Daniels. 115 00:07:39,280 --> 00:07:43,940 I'm here to give people a taste of the region, and, you know, 116 00:07:44,450 --> 00:07:47,780 that like a taste of Western Pennsylvania. 117 00:07:48,310 --> 00:07:52,100 So that's very important to us to source. Uh, 118 00:07:52,100 --> 00:07:56,060 we source all of our ingredients within the state, um, 119 00:07:56,060 --> 00:08:00,140 and we try to get our stuff as close to home as possible. 120 00:08:00,190 --> 00:08:03,380 So we've worked with farms in, uh, Washington County, 121 00:08:03,420 --> 00:08:07,620 we've worked with farms out near Gettysburg, um, and, uh, 122 00:08:07,620 --> 00:08:12,060 hopefully we are going to start growing some of our own grain on the property 123 00:08:12,060 --> 00:08:16,660 here soon. Um, but yeah, it's, it's just very important for us to, 124 00:08:16,910 --> 00:08:21,340 uh, give people a taste of Fayette County or taste of Chalk Hill, 125 00:08:21,790 --> 00:08:22,140 uh, 126 00:08:22,140 --> 00:08:26,180 because that will be unique and it's something you can't find on a store shelf 127 00:08:26,460 --> 00:08:31,140 anywhere else. A another thing unique about, um, maybe more so the winery, but, 128 00:08:31,390 --> 00:08:31,740 um, 129 00:08:31,740 --> 00:08:35,740 I always find it interesting that the fun fact is that this is the highest ev 130 00:08:35,740 --> 00:08:39,700 elevation where grapes are grown. And I always say in Pennsylvania, 131 00:08:39,700 --> 00:08:43,700 but you actually said it's, uh, west of or east East of the rock. 132 00:08:43,700 --> 00:08:48,380 East of the rock, yeah, when we first planted, uh, about 25, 133 00:08:48,750 --> 00:08:53,310 uh, 30 years ago. Um, yeah, as, as far as we know, we, 134 00:08:53,560 --> 00:08:56,760 we are the, uh, highest elevation vineyards. We're at about, 135 00:08:56,760 --> 00:09:00,440 I think about 2,500 feet above sea level. Um, 136 00:09:00,660 --> 00:09:05,520 and it really, uh, allows us to grow, um, 137 00:09:06,380 --> 00:09:10,810 um, certain varieties of grapes that we wouldn't otherwise be able to. Um, 138 00:09:10,810 --> 00:09:15,010 our growing season here up on the Ridge is very similar to, uh, 139 00:09:15,010 --> 00:09:19,770 Eastern Europe, Germany, uh, northern Italy. So we do, um, 140 00:09:19,770 --> 00:09:24,690 a lot of grapevine like, uh, Riesling gavir demeanor, um, 141 00:09:24,690 --> 00:09:29,480 that sort of thing. And yeah, it's, it's, you know, we are, uh, 142 00:09:29,480 --> 00:09:33,720 up here in Chalk Hill on top of the mountain, and it is, you know, 143 00:09:33,720 --> 00:09:35,600 you're gonna get a little different, 144 00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:40,440 different ter from a grapevine grown up here than you would down in a valley, 145 00:09:40,470 --> 00:09:42,760 even, you know, five miles away. 146 00:09:42,970 --> 00:09:47,180 So it really makes a big difference, um, you know, 147 00:09:47,180 --> 00:09:51,860 from the soil perspective, from the, uh, perspective of growing season. 148 00:09:52,550 --> 00:09:56,860 Um, and it's sort of just a unique, uh, 149 00:09:57,250 --> 00:10:02,160 kind of growing, um, area growing climate. Now, uh, 150 00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:04,880 you were talking about, uh, some of those, uh, 151 00:10:04,950 --> 00:10:09,520 some of those items that go into your distilled beverages. 152 00:10:09,520 --> 00:10:13,440 And sitting in front of us, we have a couple mason jars that have, uh, 153 00:10:13,440 --> 00:10:15,040 two of your unique products. 154 00:10:15,040 --> 00:10:18,960 And I know you're talking about a new product line that would go along with 155 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:23,480 these, but, uh, you have your, your cherry poppers and your, and your pickles. 156 00:10:23,770 --> 00:10:28,320 Uh, tell us a little bit about those items. Um, yeah, so, 157 00:10:29,320 --> 00:10:32,250 um, we were looking for, uh, 158 00:10:32,400 --> 00:10:36,010 some new things to do a couple of years ago. And, um, 159 00:10:37,100 --> 00:10:40,160 uh, I'm not sure what it is, 160 00:10:40,180 --> 00:10:43,840 but for some reason everything seems to be about pickles now. 161 00:10:43,840 --> 00:10:48,600 There's that big Pittsburgh, uh, festival in Pittsburgh. Um, 162 00:10:48,820 --> 00:10:52,400 the local pizza, pizza place started doing, uh, pickle pizza, 163 00:10:52,660 --> 00:10:55,240 and I am a huge fan of dill pickles. 164 00:10:55,450 --> 00:10:59,920 So we got this crazy idea of what if we were to take some, 165 00:11:00,110 --> 00:11:04,760 some dill pickles, pour out some of the brine and pour in some, uh, 166 00:11:04,760 --> 00:11:08,280 white whiskey or what we call moonshine, and, uh, 167 00:11:08,620 --> 00:11:12,600 let 'em soak and see what happened. And, uh, yeah, it, 168 00:11:12,600 --> 00:11:17,120 it's like it's really become one of our best selling products. Uh, you know, 169 00:11:17,120 --> 00:11:21,640 if you like pickles and you like whiskey, it's like peanut butter and jelly, 170 00:11:21,820 --> 00:11:22,320 you know, 171 00:11:22,320 --> 00:11:26,640 you put 'em together and you get something better at the end of the day. So, um, 172 00:11:26,640 --> 00:11:30,560 yeah, I'd, I'd like to start doing more with that. Uh, the other, uh, 173 00:11:30,560 --> 00:11:33,560 product that we have currently is, uh, ishino cherries. 174 00:11:33,690 --> 00:11:38,360 We pour out some of the syrup, we pour in some moonshine, let it soak. And, um, 175 00:11:38,830 --> 00:11:43,200 yeah, I'd love to do more stuff like that. Onions, cucumbers, uh, 176 00:11:43,880 --> 00:11:48,310 uh, we're thinking about doing, um, pears, mangoes, so, 177 00:11:49,150 --> 00:11:52,610 you know, anything that you think would taste better or soap didn't, 178 00:11:52,610 --> 00:11:56,960 moonshine well, we're gonna try it <laugh> well in. 179 00:11:56,960 --> 00:12:01,880 And as you have a, a growing business, um, you know, I, I think sustainability, 180 00:12:02,450 --> 00:12:06,040 uh, becomes part of the conversation that you have to have, uh, 181 00:12:06,040 --> 00:12:09,960 not just how do you sustain and make a profit from your business, 182 00:12:09,960 --> 00:12:13,480 but how do we sustain the environment? 183 00:12:13,480 --> 00:12:18,000 And you guys are doing some exciting things, uh, up here. I, 184 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:21,720 I know you're part of the Fayette County Recycling Program, uh, 185 00:12:21,720 --> 00:12:24,400 and you recycle a, a lot of what you use as, 186 00:12:24,450 --> 00:12:29,120 as well as the community can bring things to the, uh, the big green, uh, 187 00:12:29,390 --> 00:12:33,680 I guess it's not a dumpster, but the big green, uh, uh, storage, 188 00:12:34,490 --> 00:12:35,160 uh, 189 00:12:35,160 --> 00:12:38,960 facility that's here on your property where the recycling people come and take 190 00:12:38,960 --> 00:12:43,640 that. Um, but you're also dipping your toes into, uh, 191 00:12:43,640 --> 00:12:48,240 the solar aspect of things. So why don't you, uh, update us about your, 192 00:12:48,350 --> 00:12:52,680 your solar project that's going on? Um, so yeah, 193 00:12:53,050 --> 00:12:57,400 is, you know, I, I don't have to tell to tell you that, you know, um, 194 00:12:57,850 --> 00:13:01,040 running a small farm is, is tough, 195 00:13:01,260 --> 00:13:06,040 and doing that sustainably is even tougher. Um, 196 00:13:06,140 --> 00:13:11,020 and since, you know, we really are about, you know, 197 00:13:11,020 --> 00:13:15,100 growing our own things, uh, you know, taking 'em right outta the ground, 198 00:13:15,690 --> 00:13:20,100 what goes into the ground is very important to us. So having, uh, 199 00:13:20,100 --> 00:13:24,260 clean air, clean water, um, you know, it's, 200 00:13:24,290 --> 00:13:28,030 it's not just, you know, something that we, 201 00:13:28,760 --> 00:13:30,230 we like to promote. 202 00:13:30,380 --> 00:13:34,790 It's actually very important to our products that we make sure that the 203 00:13:34,790 --> 00:13:39,750 environment that they grow in is a good environment. Um, 204 00:13:39,760 --> 00:13:43,030 so to that end, yeah, we're, uh, really, you know, 205 00:13:43,030 --> 00:13:47,470 trying here to create a sustainable environment. Um, we, uh, 206 00:13:47,470 --> 00:13:52,270 are part of the recycling program and, uh, you know, it, it isn't, 207 00:13:52,270 --> 00:13:54,550 you know, just to help the environment, 208 00:13:54,550 --> 00:13:56,950 but it also makes it more convenient for us. 209 00:13:56,950 --> 00:14:01,790 We go through tons of recyclable materials and it just didn't feel 210 00:14:01,790 --> 00:14:05,750 right, throwing it all in the, in the dumpster. Uh, so, you know, 211 00:14:06,760 --> 00:14:10,310 it really works out for, uh, both ways. Uh, 212 00:14:10,310 --> 00:14:14,110 it helps the environment and it also helps, you know, 213 00:14:14,110 --> 00:14:18,350 helps us find a good way to get rid of our recyclable materials, 214 00:14:18,350 --> 00:14:21,310 and it helps the community the same way. Um, 215 00:14:21,890 --> 00:14:26,600 the solar power is another big thing. Uh, we have, 216 00:14:26,600 --> 00:14:31,120 you know, uh, heating and cooling. Um, you know, we have, uh, 217 00:14:31,120 --> 00:14:33,520 I think we have 13 out, uh, 218 00:14:33,520 --> 00:14:38,200 freestanding structures here between the winery and the distillery. And, 219 00:14:38,290 --> 00:14:42,200 uh, you know, solar power has just really helped, uh, 220 00:14:42,200 --> 00:14:45,320 it's helped electrify some of our barns, uh, 221 00:14:45,320 --> 00:14:49,960 that would be impossible to power otherwise. And, uh, it's gonna help create, 222 00:14:50,180 --> 00:14:51,370 you know, um, 223 00:14:51,370 --> 00:14:56,330 more sustainable HVAC for the winery itself and the large areas that we need 224 00:14:56,330 --> 00:15:00,850 to heat and cool, um, for production and that sort of thing. 225 00:15:00,850 --> 00:15:05,290 So we're in the middle of doing a, uh, 50 kilowatt solar installation, 226 00:15:06,300 --> 00:15:09,410 um, which I'm hoping will, uh, 227 00:15:10,610 --> 00:15:14,870 cut our, uh, power usage by about two thirds. Um, 228 00:15:15,610 --> 00:15:18,110 and, uh, the other thing is we're, um, 229 00:15:18,870 --> 00:15:22,910 actively trying to electrify a lot of the smaller vehicles that we use around 230 00:15:22,910 --> 00:15:27,830 here. So, you know, instead of buying like a, uh, gas, you know, powered, 231 00:15:27,830 --> 00:15:32,350 uh, lawnmower, gas powered, uh, uh, side by side, 232 00:15:32,350 --> 00:15:36,990 we're trying to use electric golf carts, um, for some of our stuff, uh, 233 00:15:36,990 --> 00:15:37,310 you know, 234 00:15:37,310 --> 00:15:42,250 we can just basically plug them into the solar array and charge them up 235 00:15:42,250 --> 00:15:46,330 from the sun and don't have to worry about buying gas and, you know, 236 00:15:46,340 --> 00:15:51,030 so everything we're doing is it, it's, it really, you know, 237 00:15:51,350 --> 00:15:54,710 it helps, uh, it helps the environment, 238 00:15:54,730 --> 00:15:56,830 but it also helps us as a business. 239 00:15:57,290 --> 00:16:01,910 And so it just kind of makes sense for us as, you know, as a small farm, 240 00:16:02,280 --> 00:16:05,950 as a small business. Like, it just all works together. 241 00:16:06,130 --> 00:16:10,350 And I'm excited to, uh, you know, do even more, uh, 242 00:16:10,350 --> 00:16:12,990 for sustainability in the future. Well, 243 00:16:12,990 --> 00:16:17,190 let's get our quick break here in on commonalities. When we come back, 244 00:16:17,190 --> 00:16:21,230 I want to talk about your grand opening celebration that's coming up, 245 00:16:21,290 --> 00:16:23,590 but we'll be right back in just a moment. 246 00:16:26,570 --> 00:16:30,910 You are listening to commonalities where guests find common ground through 247 00:16:31,310 --> 00:16:32,750 uncommon conversations. 248 00:16:33,270 --> 00:16:36,750 We'll be back after this brief break to recognize our sponsors. 249 00:16:39,850 --> 00:16:42,710 I'm Melinda De LaRose. As an Assistant District Attorney, 250 00:16:42,740 --> 00:16:46,750 I've protected Fayette County families and fought to uphold our constitutional 251 00:16:46,750 --> 00:16:49,470 rights. As a prosecutor and trusted local attorney, 252 00:16:49,470 --> 00:16:53,630 I've provided victims of crime with a strong voice and put criminals behind 253 00:16:53,630 --> 00:16:56,990 bars. My pledge to you as judge is to follow the law, 254 00:16:56,990 --> 00:16:59,350 always maintain the highest ethical standards, 255 00:16:59,350 --> 00:17:03,670 and to run a courtroom that's respectful of your time and tax dollars. 256 00:17:03,970 --> 00:17:06,990 I'm Melinda DeRose asking for your vote for Judge. 257 00:17:07,020 --> 00:17:09,110 Paid for by Friends of Melinda de LaRose. 258 00:17:09,880 --> 00:17:11,990 Nestled in the heart of the Laurel Highlands, 259 00:17:11,990 --> 00:17:16,830 the Christian W. Clay Winery and Ridge Runner Distillery offer handcrafted wines 260 00:17:16,830 --> 00:17:19,790 and spirits using locally sourced grapes and ingredients. 261 00:17:19,820 --> 00:17:24,150 Stop by our to Hill Pennsylvania tasting rooms located just across the street 262 00:17:24,150 --> 00:17:27,430 from each other. Or pick up a bottle at our wine cellar on Route 40, 263 00:17:27,430 --> 00:17:28,390 the National Road. 264 00:17:28,740 --> 00:17:31,150 Join Ridgerunner Distillery on Friday, 265 00:17:31,170 --> 00:17:35,950 May 5th at 3:00 PM to kick off their grand opening weekend with 266 00:17:35,950 --> 00:17:37,030 free charcuterie. 267 00:17:37,530 --> 00:17:42,510 May 6th join us for s'mores by our fire and May 7th, 268 00:17:42,750 --> 00:17:47,430 enjoy our Bloody Mary Bar and live music by hollow point from two to 269 00:17:47,430 --> 00:17:48,263 5:00 PM. 270 00:17:49,140 --> 00:17:52,040 For more information about the Christian W. Clay Winery, 271 00:17:52,040 --> 00:17:55,320 call 7 2 4 4 3 9 3 4 2 4. 272 00:17:55,320 --> 00:17:57,080 And for Ridge Runner Distillery, 273 00:17:57,080 --> 00:18:00,560 call 7 2 4 4 3 4 6 6 5 9. 274 00:18:00,560 --> 00:18:03,720 Christian Clay Winery and Ridge Runner Distillery, 275 00:18:03,720 --> 00:18:08,560 the Laurel Highlands Premiere purveyors of locally made wine and spirits. 276 00:18:09,750 --> 00:18:11,720 When it comes to buying a home, 277 00:18:12,110 --> 00:18:15,160 what you see isn't exactly what you get. 278 00:18:15,590 --> 00:18:19,960 That's why home buyers should call Dave Dowling At Grandview 279 00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:24,760 Inspections at 7 2 4 2 0 8 4 1 0 8. 280 00:18:25,070 --> 00:18:28,480 You'll see colorful flowers, freshly painted walls, 281 00:18:28,770 --> 00:18:33,040 granite countertops, gleaming hardwood floors, and other touches. 282 00:18:33,390 --> 00:18:37,280 What you can't see is the cracks, ancient plumbing, 283 00:18:37,600 --> 00:18:38,840 dangerous wiring, 284 00:18:39,170 --> 00:18:44,000 or broken appliances that might be revealed when you hire a 285 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:47,520 home inspector. And when it comes to home inspectors, 286 00:18:47,650 --> 00:18:52,080 knowing yours has the qualifications and experience needed, 287 00:18:52,190 --> 00:18:54,320 should be your number one concern. 288 00:18:54,750 --> 00:18:57,440 Dave Dowling with Grand View Inspections, 289 00:18:57,610 --> 00:19:02,280 is an architectural engineer with over 30 years of commercial construction 290 00:19:02,280 --> 00:19:05,960 experience and hundreds of inspections under his belt. 291 00:19:06,790 --> 00:19:11,560 A home inspection is an opportunity for you to hire an expert to 292 00:19:11,560 --> 00:19:16,080 walk through the home and prepare a report outlining the home's major 293 00:19:16,080 --> 00:19:16,913 components. 294 00:19:16,990 --> 00:19:21,840 What needs immediate attention and what will require maintenance after you 295 00:19:21,840 --> 00:19:25,320 move in your home is one of your biggest investments. 296 00:19:25,490 --> 00:19:29,640 So make sure your investment is everything you hoped it to be. 297 00:19:29,910 --> 00:19:33,480 Call Dave Dowling at Grandview Inspections at 298 00:19:33,480 --> 00:19:37,240 7 2 4 2 0 8 4 1 0 8. 299 00:19:43,550 --> 00:19:47,740 Is your business using analog strategies in a digital marketing world? 300 00:19:48,150 --> 00:19:48,820 If so, 301 00:19:48,820 --> 00:19:53,380 then contact Matthew or Rebecca Dowling at Coordinated 360 for a 302 00:19:53,380 --> 00:19:57,620 professional consultation where we bring in-depth knowledge and functional 303 00:19:57,620 --> 00:19:59,540 expertise with a holistic perspective. 304 00:20:00,420 --> 00:20:05,060 Coordinated 360 provides digital marketing, paid ad and media buying services, 305 00:20:05,120 --> 00:20:09,980 web design, social media management, video production, and more for businesses, 306 00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:14,380 organizations, and political campaigns with decades of experience. 307 00:20:14,380 --> 00:20:19,260 Matt and Becky at Coordinated 360 can help you craft your unique message 308 00:20:19,480 --> 00:20:24,460 and share it with the world. For a no risk media evaluation and recommendations, 309 00:20:24,690 --> 00:20:28,740 call 7 2 4 3 2 0 22 12, 310 00:20:29,030 --> 00:20:31,020 or visit us online at 311 00:20:31,640 --> 00:20:36,580 www.coordinatedthreesixty.com. Find us also on Facebook, 312 00:20:36,580 --> 00:20:37,940 Instagram, and Twitter, 313 00:20:38,270 --> 00:20:41,860 or email info coordinated three sixty.com. 314 00:20:44,520 --> 00:20:45,820 Are you enjoying the program? 315 00:20:45,820 --> 00:20:50,040 You're listening to support commonalities and help keep us on the air by making 316 00:20:50,040 --> 00:20:54,920 a donation of five, 10, or $25, or any amount you feel comfortable sharing 317 00:20:54,920 --> 00:20:58,840 online@donate.commonalities.online. Again, 318 00:20:58,840 --> 00:21:02,840 that is donate.commonalities.online on the worldwide web. 319 00:21:03,060 --> 00:21:07,760 Buy our host a cup of coffee or help pay for airtime at donate dot commonalities 320 00:21:07,760 --> 00:21:08,593 online. 321 00:21:11,750 --> 00:21:15,120 Thanks for staying with us on commonalities. I'm your host, Matt Dowling. 322 00:21:15,120 --> 00:21:19,600 My guest today is Christian Clay of Ridge Runner Distillery and the 323 00:21:19,600 --> 00:21:23,200 Christian Clay Winery. Um, Christian, before we went to the break, 324 00:21:23,200 --> 00:21:27,440 I said that we wanted to talk about your grand opening celebration that's 325 00:21:27,440 --> 00:21:31,320 happening May 5th, sixth and seventh. Uh, 326 00:21:31,320 --> 00:21:35,560 so why don't you give us a rundown of some of the things that people can expect 327 00:21:35,560 --> 00:21:40,160 if they come up here to, to Ridgerunner or to the winery that weekend? Sure. 328 00:21:40,160 --> 00:21:43,080 Yeah. So, um, we're, uh, 329 00:21:43,580 --> 00:21:48,310 really excited to open up our, uh, our new pavilion area. 330 00:21:49,120 --> 00:21:53,790 Um, it features some really, uh, great views of the, uh, 331 00:21:53,850 --> 00:21:57,270 the vineyards and the winery across the street. Um, 332 00:21:57,420 --> 00:22:00,030 Friday we're going to kick off with a, uh, 333 00:22:00,030 --> 00:22:04,430 ribbon cutting ceremony where we're going to have a free charcuterie, 334 00:22:05,040 --> 00:22:07,470 uh, and we're also going to, uh, 335 00:22:07,470 --> 00:22:11,430 have a fire and our fire pit out front and do, uh, s'mores. 336 00:22:12,240 --> 00:22:17,030 Um, and, uh, then throughout the weekend we're gonna have, 337 00:22:17,040 --> 00:22:21,990 uh, introduce our new, um, our food truck that we've been restoring. 338 00:22:22,120 --> 00:22:26,670 Um, so we're gonna have some, um, some interesting new, uh, 339 00:22:26,670 --> 00:22:31,190 things for people to try here, including bread bulls and dip and, uh, 340 00:22:31,190 --> 00:22:35,390 pres paninis. Um, we're gonna have a, uh, 341 00:22:35,500 --> 00:22:40,070 Jeff DeCenzo and his cigar trailer come up because, uh, 342 00:22:40,130 --> 00:22:43,430 you can't, you know, it's tough to enjoy, uh, 343 00:22:43,430 --> 00:22:48,230 whiskey with without a good cigar. So, uh, and in the future, we, 344 00:22:48,240 --> 00:22:53,230 uh, are hoping to expand our humidor, uh, in the new, 345 00:22:53,320 --> 00:22:57,830 uh, addition and have a much larger selection of cigars. 346 00:22:58,780 --> 00:23:03,100 Um, we're also going to be opening, uh, 347 00:23:03,100 --> 00:23:07,780 the bar up as a full service bar. So, uh, we're gonna have our, 348 00:23:07,990 --> 00:23:12,220 um, our in-house cocktails made by my, uh, 349 00:23:12,220 --> 00:23:16,380 wonderful wife, Tia. And, uh, we're also going to, 350 00:23:17,070 --> 00:23:20,260 um, feature wine from the winery across the street, 351 00:23:20,320 --> 00:23:25,100 and we're gonna have a selection of local pa beers for people to try as well. 352 00:23:25,360 --> 00:23:29,060 Now on that Sunday, I, I think Tia may be a little, uh, 353 00:23:29,060 --> 00:23:32,980 peeved at us if we don't mention her Bloody Mary bar because, uh, 354 00:23:32,980 --> 00:23:35,900 that's something that she takes great pride in. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Uh, 355 00:23:35,900 --> 00:23:39,780 and that's something you've done here before, correct? Yeah. Um, before, uh, 356 00:23:39,780 --> 00:23:44,260 before Covid, we did, uh, bloody bar, uh, bloody Berry Bar, um, 357 00:23:44,260 --> 00:23:48,920 on Sundays. And so we're bringing that back, um, for this year. Uh, 358 00:23:48,920 --> 00:23:53,600 we're also going to have, um, feature music every Sunday afternoon, starting, 359 00:23:53,730 --> 00:23:58,320 uh, the first weekend in May. We're gonna have Hollow Point come out and, uh, 360 00:23:58,320 --> 00:24:01,760 they're a great band with a good following and some really good, uh, 361 00:24:01,760 --> 00:24:04,600 country music. Uh, and, uh, 362 00:24:04,600 --> 00:24:09,200 we'll be running the Bloody Mary Bar around the same time. So, um, yeah, 363 00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:14,080 it should be, uh, a lot of fun. Uh, every Saturday, Sunday, uh, 364 00:24:14,080 --> 00:24:17,760 the Mus or the Winery will have music on, uh, Saturday afternoons, 365 00:24:17,760 --> 00:24:22,680 and we'll have music on Sundays, and, uh, we're trying to give some, uh, 366 00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:26,680 people something to do up here on the mountain on the weekends. Sure. And, 367 00:24:26,680 --> 00:24:31,320 and you mentioned Covid and, uh, you know, I, I don't think if we wanted to, 368 00:24:31,320 --> 00:24:32,560 we could forget, uh, 369 00:24:32,560 --> 00:24:36,280 that covid period that we've been through in the last couple years. Uh, 370 00:24:36,280 --> 00:24:39,720 COVID actually had you distilling something that, uh, 371 00:24:39,720 --> 00:24:41,800 that wasn't a beverage for a period of time. 372 00:24:42,030 --> 00:24:45,440 I know you guys were making hand sanitizer, uh, 373 00:24:45,440 --> 00:24:49,560 to help out through that covid period. So tell us a little bit about that. 374 00:24:50,250 --> 00:24:54,560 Um, yeah, so I mean, it was, it was definitely a crazy time. Um, 375 00:24:55,380 --> 00:24:59,280 and, uh, we, we got the idea, uh, 376 00:24:59,280 --> 00:25:03,480 for making hand sanitizer from, uh, a distillery out in, uh, 377 00:25:03,480 --> 00:25:05,560 Washington state where I, 378 00:25:05,590 --> 00:25:10,400 I believe the outbreak started there a little bit earlier before it 379 00:25:10,400 --> 00:25:14,760 became east. And so a few distilleries out in Washington started, 380 00:25:15,170 --> 00:25:16,960 uh, converting, you know, 381 00:25:16,960 --> 00:25:21,520 their whiskey into taking the high proof alcohol and turning 382 00:25:21,550 --> 00:25:26,080 into anti septic and hand sanitizer. And, um, 383 00:25:26,370 --> 00:25:30,280 as, uh, COVID progressed, we started getting calls from, um, 384 00:25:31,280 --> 00:25:35,240 hospitals, from first responders, from nursing homes. Um, 385 00:25:36,000 --> 00:25:39,640 everyone was just desperate for hand sanitizer, uh, 386 00:25:40,020 --> 00:25:44,240 and antiseptic. And, uh, it was just, you couldn't find it in stores. 387 00:25:44,240 --> 00:25:47,320 You couldn't get it in bulk. So yeah, we, 388 00:25:47,330 --> 00:25:50,480 we just converted for the better part of a year. 389 00:25:50,670 --> 00:25:54,280 Most of our production went into producing, uh, 390 00:25:54,280 --> 00:25:59,150 high proof alcohol for hand sanitizer. Um, uh, 391 00:25:59,280 --> 00:26:02,030 we gave most of it, uh, out to, uh, 392 00:26:02,030 --> 00:26:06,230 initially to first responders and nursing homes and, uh, 393 00:26:06,510 --> 00:26:11,030 actually a few hospitals in the area that were looking for it. And, um, 394 00:26:11,210 --> 00:26:15,900 you know, it just, it was a very strange time, but it felt like, 395 00:26:15,900 --> 00:26:19,500 you know, we could really do something unique that, you know, 396 00:26:19,500 --> 00:26:24,190 helped the community and, you know, uh, you know, fought the, 397 00:26:24,450 --> 00:26:28,910 the virus. And, uh, yeah, it was, you know, it, 398 00:26:29,320 --> 00:26:33,430 it was something that I, I felt really strongly about doing, and I, 399 00:26:33,430 --> 00:26:37,310 I hope we made a little bit of a difference. Sure. And, 400 00:26:37,310 --> 00:26:40,630 and making a difference in, in your community, I know, is something that, 401 00:26:40,630 --> 00:26:43,480 that you guys have tried to do as, as a, a family, 402 00:26:43,480 --> 00:26:46,280 the clay family for a long time. Uh, 403 00:26:46,280 --> 00:26:49,880 I know that y the winery has a number of events that, uh, 404 00:26:50,150 --> 00:26:54,120 supports our local pet shelters, uh, and, and things of that nature. 405 00:26:54,810 --> 00:26:59,800 Um, so I, I know there's a community minded aspect to a lot of, 406 00:26:59,800 --> 00:27:02,880 of what you guys do. Um, you know, 407 00:27:02,880 --> 00:27:07,200 I I wanted to get back to talking about the new space and 408 00:27:07,240 --> 00:27:08,960 primarily, um, 409 00:27:08,980 --> 00:27:13,800 the after hours private functions that you're now able to have in this 410 00:27:13,800 --> 00:27:17,280 new space. Uh, and my wife, Rebecca, 411 00:27:17,280 --> 00:27:21,760 absolutely loves those because she loves to play with balloons and decorate, 412 00:27:21,760 --> 00:27:24,640 and, uh, and I know she's helping you out with some of those things, 413 00:27:24,940 --> 00:27:25,920 but you now have, 414 00:27:25,920 --> 00:27:29,920 have this room that's available for showers and birthday parties, 415 00:27:29,920 --> 00:27:32,360 even corporate events, if, if you would want to have them. 416 00:27:32,580 --> 00:27:34,000 And I think that's such a, 417 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:38,840 a good compliment to the historic barn that's across the street where mm-hmm. 418 00:27:38,880 --> 00:27:42,120 <affirmative>, you could have large events like weddings or, uh, 419 00:27:42,370 --> 00:27:45,560 or things of that nature. Um, you know, and, 420 00:27:45,560 --> 00:27:50,400 and as we're looking out over, uh, over the veranda here and, 421 00:27:50,400 --> 00:27:54,200 uh, and we can see the barn, uh, I was wondering if, you know, 422 00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:57,000 do you know some history of, of that building or, 423 00:27:57,000 --> 00:28:01,120 or at least the age of that facility? Uh, yeah. So the, uh, 424 00:28:01,380 --> 00:28:05,720 the original barn was built in the 1880s, I believe. 425 00:28:06,250 --> 00:28:10,360 Um, so the winery property was owned, um, 426 00:28:11,050 --> 00:28:15,730 by a former US Senator, William Crow. And, uh, 427 00:28:16,040 --> 00:28:20,570 they actually had a, um, uh, house, uh, 428 00:28:20,570 --> 00:28:24,600 over there, the crow mansion. And, um, 429 00:28:24,690 --> 00:28:29,240 it burned down, I believe, in the mid thirties. And, uh, 430 00:28:29,330 --> 00:28:33,600 he had a working farm here. So we, we've, 431 00:28:33,600 --> 00:28:37,520 this farm has had everything from, uh, dairy to, uh, 432 00:28:37,890 --> 00:28:42,720 to pigs, um, to, uh, grain and that sort of thing. 433 00:28:42,720 --> 00:28:47,560 So this has been a working farm for at least 150 434 00:28:47,560 --> 00:28:52,560 years. Um, and, uh, yeah, the, uh, the, um, 435 00:28:53,110 --> 00:28:56,240 barn that the winery uses, uh, 436 00:28:56,240 --> 00:29:00,600 for its events is a restored 1880s bank barn, um, 437 00:29:00,870 --> 00:29:05,720 that we renovated, uh, in the late eighties. And, uh, 438 00:29:05,720 --> 00:29:07,160 we fixed up the foundation. 439 00:29:07,420 --> 00:29:11,880 The property had actually laid fallow for about 40 years we had gotten here. 440 00:29:11,880 --> 00:29:15,080 And my parents, um, uh, 441 00:29:15,080 --> 00:29:19,920 were actually given an award by the Isaac Walton League for restoring 442 00:29:19,920 --> 00:29:23,480 the property to, uh, to its current state, um, 443 00:29:23,480 --> 00:29:28,000 after so many years of laying fallow. But, uh, yeah, it's, 444 00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:32,240 it's really a beautiful and historic building and area. And, uh, 445 00:29:32,270 --> 00:29:34,800 they can accommodate larger groups over there, 446 00:29:34,820 --> 00:29:39,800 200, 250 people for weddings and big events. And then over here, 447 00:29:39,870 --> 00:29:43,880 I wanted something that was, was a little smaller, a little more intimate, um, 448 00:29:43,880 --> 00:29:45,960 for smaller parties. We can do, 449 00:29:45,960 --> 00:29:49,880 we can seat about 40 to 50 people indoors now, uh, 450 00:29:49,880 --> 00:29:53,320 some more if it's a nice day, and they can go out on the, uh, 451 00:29:53,320 --> 00:29:58,240 patio where we're gonna have our, uh, our outdoor fire pit as well. But, um, 452 00:29:58,550 --> 00:30:03,240 yeah, we're trying to just add more venues to the, uh, 453 00:30:03,720 --> 00:30:08,640 property and, uh, offer different, um, kinds of events for, uh, 454 00:30:09,010 --> 00:30:12,360 anybody who's looking for something small to large, we can, 455 00:30:12,360 --> 00:30:17,240 we can accommodate it. I, you know, I, I wanna talk a little bit about, 456 00:30:17,530 --> 00:30:18,360 um, 457 00:30:18,360 --> 00:30:23,200 about kind of the perception of the products that you guys sell. 458 00:30:23,300 --> 00:30:28,280 And, you know, if you're not a wine afic and auto, um, 459 00:30:28,280 --> 00:30:30,760 you know, you, you may think, well, you know, 460 00:30:30,900 --> 00:30:35,720 you have to be a certain type of person to enjoy and understand 461 00:30:36,200 --> 00:30:40,360 wines. And, uh, and likewise over at the distillery, 462 00:30:40,360 --> 00:30:42,520 some of your products are called moonshine. 463 00:30:42,530 --> 00:30:46,920 So people may get the idea that maybe that's a, a low brow product, 464 00:30:47,060 --> 00:30:51,880 but you have customers that come in really from not just the 465 00:30:51,880 --> 00:30:52,440 local area, 466 00:30:52,440 --> 00:30:57,280 but from around the world that enjoy both the wine and the spirits. 467 00:30:57,330 --> 00:31:01,760 Um, you know, what is, what's the most interesting person that, uh, 468 00:31:01,820 --> 00:31:04,320 has come across the, uh, the, 469 00:31:04,320 --> 00:31:08,840 the property here that you've gotten a chance to talk to? Well, um, 470 00:31:09,760 --> 00:31:14,350 so we have had people from all over the world. We have a little, um, map, 471 00:31:14,760 --> 00:31:19,470 uh, inside the distillery where we ask people to put pins in, uh, 472 00:31:19,470 --> 00:31:21,710 where they're from. And, uh, 473 00:31:22,220 --> 00:31:26,630 I really made a mistake by making it only of the United States. Um, 474 00:31:26,670 --> 00:31:29,870 we've had people from, uh, you know, 475 00:31:29,890 --> 00:31:34,030 all over the world come in and try different things. And, uh, 476 00:31:34,850 --> 00:31:37,620 yeah, it's, it's really, um, 477 00:31:38,550 --> 00:31:43,270 what I like to say is if you, you don't have to be into wine. 478 00:31:43,270 --> 00:31:48,070 You don't have to be into whiskey to enjoy wine or enjoy whiskey. 479 00:31:48,680 --> 00:31:53,070 Uh, in fact, like when we started, like, I appreciate wine, 480 00:31:53,070 --> 00:31:56,350 but I really love whiskey. And so I tell people, 481 00:31:57,310 --> 00:32:02,140 it doesn't matter. You know, how much you're spending on, you know, or what the, 482 00:32:02,280 --> 00:32:06,260 the, you know, the title of the product is the best wine, 483 00:32:06,260 --> 00:32:11,160 the Best Whiskey is what tastes best to you. And people's, uh, 484 00:32:11,160 --> 00:32:16,120 taste really does evolve over time. So a lot of, you know, I, 485 00:32:16,630 --> 00:32:21,000 when I first started drinking wine, I like sweet wine. And then over the years, 486 00:32:21,070 --> 00:32:25,800 I started liking dry wine, uh, more, uh, same here. Like, 487 00:32:26,130 --> 00:32:30,120 um, at the distillery, I really wasn't a fan of gin. 488 00:32:30,820 --> 00:32:35,680 And, uh, my parents really liked gin, so they made a gin recipe for me, 489 00:32:35,680 --> 00:32:39,320 and I started experimenting with gin here. And now, you know, 490 00:32:39,320 --> 00:32:43,360 I like to say that I appreciate gin, um, you know, 491 00:32:43,360 --> 00:32:47,280 more than I did when I started this business. And it's just, 492 00:32:47,540 --> 00:32:50,880 you really gotta give new things a try. And, uh, 493 00:32:50,890 --> 00:32:54,280 it doesn't really matter how much it costs or what, you know, 494 00:32:54,280 --> 00:32:57,280 part of the shelf it's on, uh, try, you know, 495 00:32:57,600 --> 00:32:59,920 you're going to find a bunch of stuff you don't like, 496 00:32:59,980 --> 00:33:03,560 but you might find something you do. So yeah, it's, 497 00:33:03,920 --> 00:33:07,400 whatever tastes good to you is is the, the best product for you. 498 00:33:07,860 --> 00:33:12,520 And you've mentioned your gin, and you have a very unique gin here, uh, 499 00:33:12,520 --> 00:33:16,400 which is infused with lavender. And, uh, 500 00:33:16,400 --> 00:33:21,200 and so tell us a little bit about, uh, about your lavender gin. So, uh, 501 00:33:21,200 --> 00:33:25,400 yeah, the, the winery makes a lavender wine, 502 00:33:25,580 --> 00:33:28,760 and it was very, when it first came out, uh, 503 00:33:28,760 --> 00:33:33,760 it was really one of the only lavender infused wines, uh, on the east coast. 504 00:33:33,930 --> 00:33:36,360 Um, and, uh, it just, 505 00:33:36,360 --> 00:33:39,960 it really has sort of a unique flavor profile, 506 00:33:40,740 --> 00:33:45,560 and I kept thinking when we were experimenting with gin that, 507 00:33:45,560 --> 00:33:49,900 you know, it would really like as a, you know, 508 00:33:50,160 --> 00:33:54,180 add to the botanical flavor. So we experimented with that. 509 00:33:54,180 --> 00:33:57,500 And then just within, uh, uh, the last six months, 510 00:33:57,500 --> 00:34:02,300 we came out with our lavender gin. And, uh, you know, 511 00:34:02,750 --> 00:34:07,660 it really kind of got me into, into jit. Um, 512 00:34:07,810 --> 00:34:09,780 I, you know, I can appreciate a good gin, 513 00:34:09,780 --> 00:34:13,460 but this was the first one that I ever really would say that I, I really, 514 00:34:13,460 --> 00:34:17,440 really liked. And, uh, yeah, it just, lavender, 515 00:34:17,970 --> 00:34:21,880 it can be overpowering in certain aspects, 516 00:34:22,100 --> 00:34:23,560 but if you keep it subtle, 517 00:34:24,050 --> 00:34:27,720 it really adds just a little hint of, 518 00:34:28,290 --> 00:34:31,680 of something special to, uh, you know, 519 00:34:31,770 --> 00:34:36,320 to a gin or even a wine. And, um, yeah, it just, 520 00:34:36,390 --> 00:34:41,000 I was kind of inspired by my parents and, you know, experimented with it, 521 00:34:41,000 --> 00:34:44,200 and I hope they experimented with it in other products in the future. 522 00:34:44,540 --> 00:34:47,640 Now you've been talking about those infused products, and, 523 00:34:47,640 --> 00:34:52,280 and I know from talking to your mom recently that she has some hopes of building 524 00:34:52,510 --> 00:34:56,800 a greenhouse where you can grow some additional herbs and, uh, 525 00:34:56,800 --> 00:35:00,280 and you'll be using some of those, uh, herbs here at the distillery. 526 00:35:00,280 --> 00:35:02,680 She'll be using some of the winery mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Uh, 527 00:35:02,680 --> 00:35:07,040 what are some hopes of yours for future proje products that you'll be able to 528 00:35:07,040 --> 00:35:11,880 make with those fresh herbs that you'll grow in the greenhouse? Um, so, 529 00:35:12,490 --> 00:35:15,240 so yeah, the, uh, the greenhouse, uh, 530 00:35:15,770 --> 00:35:20,560 my dad recently really recently retired. Uh, he was a cardiac surgeon for, 531 00:35:21,090 --> 00:35:25,520 um, almost 50 years. Uh, and all through that time, 532 00:35:25,530 --> 00:35:30,120 he maintained his green thumb. He was probably the only, uh, 533 00:35:30,800 --> 00:35:35,480 surgical resident in Manhattan growing potatoes in their 20th story, uh, 534 00:35:36,170 --> 00:35:40,560 uh, window box, uh, in Manhattan. Um, 535 00:35:40,660 --> 00:35:45,240 but yeah, now that he's retired, uh, he really wanted to get back into, 536 00:35:45,370 --> 00:35:48,920 uh, into growing things. And, um, 537 00:35:49,370 --> 00:35:52,040 it works out well because, uh, 538 00:35:52,040 --> 00:35:54,880 we're hoping to start our own line of, uh, 539 00:35:55,570 --> 00:36:00,120 bidders and botanicals, um, for our products here. Uh, 540 00:36:00,120 --> 00:36:04,640 again, it just goes into, um, you know, uh, 541 00:36:04,640 --> 00:36:09,200 our want to do as much as we can, as close to home as possible. 542 00:36:09,770 --> 00:36:14,560 So, um, yeah, uh, we're, we're hoping to, uh, start growing our own juniper, 543 00:36:15,170 --> 00:36:16,920 uh, growing, um, 544 00:36:16,950 --> 00:36:21,520 botanicals for the gin itself and for other products. Um, 545 00:36:21,570 --> 00:36:26,280 we already grow the lavender that we use in the wine, in the gin there. And, 546 00:36:26,330 --> 00:36:31,300 uh, yeah, it's, it, um, should create some interesting things, 547 00:36:31,320 --> 00:36:35,020 and we hope to turn that and do a whole new product wine of, uh, 548 00:36:35,310 --> 00:36:39,700 Fayette County native, uh, botanicals and, um, 549 00:36:40,410 --> 00:36:44,190 and stuff for, for products, uh, that we make in the future. 550 00:36:45,010 --> 00:36:46,310 And, uh, you know, I, 551 00:36:46,310 --> 00:36:51,270 I think people nowadays are so interested in products that are 552 00:36:51,270 --> 00:36:55,470 kind of indigenous to their area, and I had the pleasure of serving, 553 00:36:56,000 --> 00:37:00,470 uh, in the State House and representing Somerset County, which is known, 554 00:37:00,880 --> 00:37:03,110 uh, for maple syrup. Um, 555 00:37:03,130 --> 00:37:07,710 but I know you guys like to show off the products that you make here, 556 00:37:07,930 --> 00:37:12,870 not just, you know, in the tasting room, but you like to take people out in, 557 00:37:12,920 --> 00:37:17,750 in the vineyards and on hay rides to just show them the facility. And, 558 00:37:17,760 --> 00:37:18,110 uh, 559 00:37:18,110 --> 00:37:22,190 and I just happened to be here yesterday when you had a tour group that came in, 560 00:37:22,640 --> 00:37:25,350 uh, with students that were actually taking a, a, 561 00:37:25,350 --> 00:37:28,390 a 300 level collegiate class, uh, 562 00:37:28,390 --> 00:37:33,310 that involved wine tasting and, and tasting some distilled spirits. 563 00:37:33,600 --> 00:37:33,950 Um, 564 00:37:33,950 --> 00:37:37,590 so why don't you tell us about some of the tour opportunities that you have here 565 00:37:37,590 --> 00:37:41,990 on property to show people, you know, where these locally sourced, 566 00:37:41,990 --> 00:37:46,950 locally made items, uh, are actually from. And, uh, and you know, 567 00:37:46,950 --> 00:37:48,470 I, I know you love to educate, 568 00:37:48,470 --> 00:37:52,710 so educate us a little bit about what we can come up here and, uh, and see. 569 00:37:53,560 --> 00:37:57,590 Um, yeah, I, I really wish they had offered that class when I was in school. 570 00:37:57,610 --> 00:38:02,390 I'm sure there's no problem filling up <laugh>. Um, yeah. So, 571 00:38:02,390 --> 00:38:04,910 uh, but yeah, he, uh, you know, 572 00:38:05,300 --> 00:38:09,150 part of the experience here is we, uh, you know, 573 00:38:09,150 --> 00:38:12,870 we're not just here to, uh, sell a product, but we're also here to, 574 00:38:12,880 --> 00:38:16,790 to educate people. Um, you know, uh, the winery, 575 00:38:17,000 --> 00:38:21,870 my mom is always kind of marketed as the total wine experience, 576 00:38:22,410 --> 00:38:26,190 and that's really what we're going for here at the distillery and the winery. 577 00:38:27,040 --> 00:38:31,790 Um, you know, you can go to any state store and buy a bottle off the shelf, 578 00:38:31,810 --> 00:38:33,870 but you're never gonna see who made it. 579 00:38:33,870 --> 00:38:38,240 You're never gonna see the ground that the, that it came out of. You know, 580 00:38:38,240 --> 00:38:39,920 you're not gonna see the, uh, 581 00:38:39,920 --> 00:38:44,560 the still or the facility that it was made in. And, uh, 582 00:38:44,560 --> 00:38:48,440 here you can, um, so we offer tours, uh, 583 00:38:48,440 --> 00:38:52,200 the winery and the distillery, or if you got nothing to do that day, 584 00:38:52,200 --> 00:38:56,720 the winery and the distillery, and, uh, you can see the entire process. 585 00:38:57,490 --> 00:39:01,120 Um, you know, the winery is really neat. Um, you know, 586 00:39:01,120 --> 00:39:05,820 because there's just not a lot of jobs you can do today where you actually 587 00:39:06,220 --> 00:39:09,420 plant something in the ground, watch it grow, 588 00:39:09,720 --> 00:39:13,420 and turn it into a product that you can sell to the public. Uh, 589 00:39:13,420 --> 00:39:17,820 and then distillery's kind of the same way, you know, we're really, uh, 590 00:39:17,820 --> 00:39:22,660 you know, we consider ourselves to be farmers first and, uh, 591 00:39:22,660 --> 00:39:26,900 you know, we really, uh, like, you know, that whole process, 592 00:39:27,090 --> 00:39:31,180 it's very satisfying to take something out on the ground and turn into a 593 00:39:31,180 --> 00:39:32,620 product. And, um, 594 00:39:32,730 --> 00:39:36,380 a lot of people are really interested in learning about how to do that. Um, 595 00:39:36,380 --> 00:39:36,740 you know, 596 00:39:36,740 --> 00:39:41,740 we get a lot of people with office jobs who come out and volunteer to 597 00:39:41,740 --> 00:39:44,780 pick grapevines for a day because, you know, 598 00:39:44,780 --> 00:39:47,860 it's just a nice way to get out of the office and, 599 00:39:47,860 --> 00:39:50,860 and experience nature and experience, you know, 600 00:39:50,940 --> 00:39:55,020 we've handpicked our grapevines the same way that people did a thousand years 601 00:39:55,020 --> 00:39:57,020 ago. And, uh, you know, 602 00:39:57,070 --> 00:40:01,700 turning that into a business in the modern world is, is really, you know, 603 00:40:01,700 --> 00:40:05,460 I think a very neat thing that you can do. And, uh, you know, 604 00:40:05,460 --> 00:40:10,140 it's very educational for people who aren't involved in that, who, 605 00:40:10,140 --> 00:40:14,580 you know, aren't involved in agriculture to come out here and experience that. 606 00:40:15,510 --> 00:40:20,260 Um, and, uh, yeah, it's just a neat experience for everybody and, uh, 607 00:40:20,400 --> 00:40:23,600 you can learn a thing or two along the way as well. Well, 608 00:40:23,600 --> 00:40:27,680 we have to get our final break in today on commonalities. We'll be right back, 609 00:40:27,680 --> 00:40:31,000 and when we come back, we'll only have a minute or two to, uh, 610 00:40:31,000 --> 00:40:34,040 highlight again your grand opening weekend, 611 00:40:34,040 --> 00:40:37,560 as well as how people can get in touch with you to, uh, 612 00:40:37,560 --> 00:40:39,080 to book tours and so forth. 613 00:40:39,300 --> 00:40:43,080 But we'll be right back after this brief break on commonalities. 614 00:40:46,110 --> 00:40:50,720 You're listening to commonalities where guests find common ground through 615 00:40:51,080 --> 00:40:52,240 uncommon conversations. 616 00:40:52,720 --> 00:40:56,360 We'll be back after this brief break to recognize our sponsors. 617 00:40:59,460 --> 00:41:02,320 I'm Melinda De LaRose. As an Assistant District Attorney, 618 00:41:02,350 --> 00:41:06,360 I've protected Fayette County families and fought to uphold our constitutional 619 00:41:06,360 --> 00:41:09,160 rights. As a prosecutor and trusted local attorney, 620 00:41:09,190 --> 00:41:13,120 I've provided victims of crime with a strong voice and put criminals behind 621 00:41:13,120 --> 00:41:16,400 bars. My pledge to you as judge is to follow the law, 622 00:41:16,400 --> 00:41:18,920 always maintain the highest ethical standards, 623 00:41:18,920 --> 00:41:23,280 and to run a courtroom that's respectful of your time and tax dollars. 624 00:41:23,580 --> 00:41:26,600 I'm Melinda de LaRose asking for your vote for Judge. 625 00:41:26,630 --> 00:41:28,760 Paid for by Friends of Melinda de LaRose. 626 00:41:29,570 --> 00:41:31,720 Nestled in the heart of the Laurel Highlands, 627 00:41:31,720 --> 00:41:36,440 the Christian W. Clay Winery and Ridge Runner Distillery offer handcrafted wines 628 00:41:36,440 --> 00:41:39,400 and spirits using locally sourced grapes and ingredients. 629 00:41:39,430 --> 00:41:43,720 Stop by our to Hill Pennsylvania tasting rooms located just across the street 630 00:41:43,720 --> 00:41:47,000 from each other, or pick up a bottle at our wine cellar on Route 40, 631 00:41:47,000 --> 00:41:47,960 the National Road. 632 00:41:48,310 --> 00:41:50,720 Join Ridge Runner Distillery on Friday, 633 00:41:50,720 --> 00:41:55,560 May 5th at 3:00 PM to kick off their grand opening weekend with 634 00:41:55,560 --> 00:41:56,640 Free charcuterie. 635 00:41:57,140 --> 00:42:02,080 May 6th join us for s'mores by our Fire, and May 7th, 636 00:42:02,360 --> 00:42:07,040 enjoy our Bloody Mary Bar and live music by hollow point from two to 637 00:42:07,040 --> 00:42:07,873 5:00 PM. 638 00:42:08,580 --> 00:42:11,520 For more information about the Christian W. Clay Winery, 639 00:42:11,520 --> 00:42:14,920 call 7 2 4 4 3 9 3 4 2 4. 640 00:42:14,920 --> 00:42:16,680 And for Ridgerunner Distillery, 641 00:42:16,680 --> 00:42:20,160 call 7 2 4 4 3 4 6 6 5 9. 642 00:42:20,160 --> 00:42:23,360 Christian Clay Winery and Ridgerunner Distillery, 643 00:42:23,360 --> 00:42:28,040 the Laurel Highlands Premiere purveyors of Locally Made Wine and Spirits. 644 00:42:29,430 --> 00:42:33,240 Thanks for staying with us here on Commonalities. I'm your host Matt Dowling, 645 00:42:33,500 --> 00:42:37,840 and my guest today is Christian Clay of Ridgerunner Distillery and Christian. 646 00:42:37,840 --> 00:42:41,880 Uh, we just have a moment or two before we have to break. I know, uh, 647 00:42:41,880 --> 00:42:46,800 that you guys have accounts on social media, Facebook, Instagram, uh, 648 00:42:46,800 --> 00:42:51,760 I think even TikTok, um, so people can stay in touch with you via those. 649 00:42:52,450 --> 00:42:57,240 Um, your grand opening weekend is coming up May 5th, sixth, and seventh. 650 00:42:57,510 --> 00:43:01,680 You'll have food for purchase, cigars for purchase, um, 651 00:43:01,680 --> 00:43:03,320 people can do tasting of, 652 00:43:03,410 --> 00:43:08,200 of your distilled products and make their way across the street and try some of 653 00:43:08,200 --> 00:43:09,920 the wines as well. Um, 654 00:43:09,920 --> 00:43:14,360 if someone wants to do a private tour or if they wanna bring a group up, 655 00:43:14,380 --> 00:43:19,240 how can they get in touch with you to book something like that? Um, well, 656 00:43:19,450 --> 00:43:24,240 uh, we do, uh, all kinds of private events here. Um, 657 00:43:24,850 --> 00:43:29,760 we do, uh, the winery, uh, has the bar available, uh, 658 00:43:29,760 --> 00:43:34,520 for weddings and larger events, uh, in which case, um, 659 00:43:34,570 --> 00:43:38,240 if you want to email or call the winery at, uh, 660 00:43:38,240 --> 00:43:41,840 (724) 439-3424, 661 00:43:41,860 --> 00:43:46,760 and asks for Scott who books, uh, the events over there. And then, 662 00:43:46,930 --> 00:43:50,840 um, now in our new, uh, pavilion over here at the Distillery, 663 00:43:50,970 --> 00:43:54,560 we are going to be doing smaller events, uh, 664 00:43:55,600 --> 00:43:59,920 probably with, uh, a limit of about 40 to 50 people. Um, 665 00:44:00,500 --> 00:44:03,210 and, uh, yeah, we, uh, 666 00:44:03,230 --> 00:44:08,210 can get ahold of us over here through, uh, email at Ridgerunner, uh, 667 00:44:08,210 --> 00:44:11,010 distillery at Gmail, or, uh, 668 00:44:11,010 --> 00:44:14,890 give us a call at seven two four nine eight four, uh, 669 00:44:14,890 --> 00:44:19,890 4 4 58. And, um, we have, uh, a lot of fun stuff. 670 00:44:20,100 --> 00:44:23,850 Uh, Rebecca, uh, your wife has already done, um, 671 00:44:23,850 --> 00:44:28,650 several events over here with her, uh, famous balloon archis, and, 672 00:44:28,820 --> 00:44:33,200 uh, yeah, we can, uh, accommodate pretty much anything from, 673 00:44:33,730 --> 00:44:37,960 uh, birthday parties, uh, bachelorette parties, uh, 674 00:44:38,490 --> 00:44:42,600 uh, you know, even smaller, uh, smaller weddings and, 675 00:44:43,410 --> 00:44:47,160 um, whatever people are looking for. Well, Christian, 676 00:44:47,160 --> 00:44:51,320 I wanna thank you for being on the show, and I encourage people to stop up and, 677 00:44:51,320 --> 00:44:54,600 uh, and e even if, you know, even if you're not a drinker, 678 00:44:54,600 --> 00:44:59,360 if you wanna stop up and, and visit the farm and see the production, 679 00:44:59,790 --> 00:45:03,360 it's, uh, it's really kind of, uh, amazing. And, uh, 680 00:45:03,500 --> 00:45:07,320 and here on a beautiful day like today, uh, it would be great to, 681 00:45:07,320 --> 00:45:11,080 to sit outside and, uh, and just kind of soak up the sun. 682 00:45:11,130 --> 00:45:14,280 So we wanna thank you for being on today's program again. 683 00:45:14,360 --> 00:45:19,280 Visit Ridgerunner Distillery for their grand opening weekend, May 5th, 684 00:45:19,280 --> 00:45:24,160 sixth and seventh. Uh, that's coming up in just a couple weeks. And, uh, 685 00:45:24,160 --> 00:45:27,360 and we wish you all the best on your new expansion. Thank you very much. 686 00:45:29,150 --> 00:45:31,400 This has been commonalities, 687 00:45:31,670 --> 00:45:35,920 a show where guests find common ground through uncommon conversations. 688 00:45:36,000 --> 00:45:38,760 Copyright 2022 Coordinated 360, 689 00:45:38,980 --> 00:45:42,520 all public rebroadcast should be done with prior written approval from Matthew 690 00:45:42,520 --> 00:45:47,320 Dowling. All requests should be sent to info@coordinatedthreesixty.com. 691 00:45:47,320 --> 00:45:49,640 Thank you for listening to commonalities.
20Apr, 2023
