‘Wine people are happy people’

Sipsey Winery opening in Cullman March 1

CULLMAN, Ala. –  Sipsey Winery will open its Cullman location on Saturday, March 1, at 11 a.m. The winery is located in the Cullman Savings Bank/Flying Fifty Hotel building on the city’s southwest side.

Owners Bart and Renda Crabtree said they will be having a grand opening at a later date.  

“We will be officially open Saturday, March 1, at 11 a.m. at The Flying Fifty location,” Bart Crabtree said. “Our Double Springs location is currently open to the public.”

He gave a glimpse into his beginnings in the area.

“In the mid to late 1980s I moved to Cullman, Alabama, being convinced by my father there were a multitude of employment opportunities in the area,” said Crabtree. “Contrary to that belief, I found very little opportunity. I reached back to a friend whom I knew had family in the area and asked for help. He did. His mother hired me as an orderly at a nursing home in Falkville. This was such a challenging working environment. Not only physically, but emotionally. But I started to look forward to the limited time I could spend with its residents. Their experiences, the stories of their lives, became intriguing. I worked there for a year and was offered a job with a home health agency in Cullman.

He continued what he referred to his “wine story,” “Cullman was fertile with stories of lives well spent (and the occasional snare for the unobservant). From farmers, mayors, hospital administrators, monks, bakers, dentists and a governor; their stories still live on in me today.” 

Crabtree said a memory that stands out in his mind is a German farmer later in years from the Phelan/Berlin area.  

“(He was) a widower who, I believe, anticipated our time together as I did,” he remembered. “We talked about everything, but that particular day I had just left another individual that spent most of his life making spirits (except for the time he was in jail for it), so of course this had piqued my interest, and my thoughts continued in the conversation with this old farmer.  So, I asked him, ‘Have you ever made liquor?’ A slight grin grew on his face, and he responded, ‘I haven’t, but I’ve made some wine.’”

A flurry of questions ensued, and the farmer, Crabtree said, was receptive. 

“After repetitive volleys of inquisition, he said ‘Let me show you,’” he smiled. “With a bit of a nudge from him we move towards the center of the room. He instructs me, while pointing with his walking cane, ‘Move away that rug and pull up that door in the floor.’ My mind started to wander to every horror movie I’ve seen to this point in my life.  As I pulled up the trap door, I thought I shouldn’t, but I did.” 

Crabtree laughed, adding that he recognizes one of his flaws (or strengths) is the curiosity of a cat.  

“This day it was a strength,” he said. “I looked down into the dark.  He says, ‘Go down the stairs; there’s a light chain to your right.’ I slowly descend below the floor, turned on the light and discovered barrels of wine. This led to many discussions about wine making and the history of the German families of the area.  After that, wine making always piqued my interest, no matter where it was being made. Fast forward over three decades and multiple occupations (working for Cullman County, the Alabama Department of Public Health and the U.S. Army at Redstone Arsenal). It was time to slow down, so I retired from public work and 32 years of military service (reserve). I didn’t totally walk away from all employment. I started to do intermittent contract work, and this is what led to us opening the winery.”

Crabtree said in the evenings there was little to do while working an out-of-town job, and one evening a fellow instructor invited him to a winery in Heflin owned by a close friend.  

“This led to many evenings after work at the winery and at times helping – doing things like bottling,” he said. “My friend is now the owner of the winery: Skipper Bailey-High Country Cellars.”

He continued, “I really liked the winery environment and the processes were in line with my academic background in chemistry and microbiology. My wife decided to retire from the Cullman Electric Cooperative, so we agreed to start our own winery – one that would share the stories of our area, whether it is the Free State of Winston County, the Sipsey Wilderness/Bankhead National Forest, Smith Lake or the German heritage of Cullman. We share stories not only verbally, but on our bottles of wine as well.”

Crabtree said Sipsey Winery offers several wines (fruit and grape varietals), apple and pear ciders, wine slushies, charcuterie and, starting a couple of weeks after opening in Cullman, it will offer pizza.  

“We are working on a collaboration with a very popular pizza maker in Morgan County – stay tuned for future updates,” he said. “Ultimately, we will be offering pizza at both of our locations – Double Springs as well.”

A few of Sipsey Winery’s menu hits include sweet and semisweet wines: Blue Bridge (blueberry Moscato – a nod to Smith Lake/Duncan Bridge) and Free State (blackberry, blueberry – a nod to Winston County), its most popular.  

“Our peach is a close third,” Crabtree said. “Of our dry wines:  Dei Vinea (red blend – a nod to St. Bernard Monastery) and Flying Fifty (a oaked Cabernet Sauvignon – a nod to a group of local businessmen that brought industry to Cullman). We also produce wines for Cullman festivals. Strawberry Queen (a strawberry rose’- a nod to past Strawberry Festival queens) and Gluhwein (spiced/mulled wine for the Cullman Christkindlmarkt). But experimentation is in our nature, so we try new things all the time.  That is the beautiful thing about being a micro winery.  Everything is small-batch crafted and hand bottled. That makes us very adaptable.”

Crabtree smiled, saying,  “Wine people are happy people.” He encouraged everyone to come out and share their stories.

“Every small winery that I have been in contact with has been a family endeavor (just as ours) and this has made this extremely enjoyable through spending time with brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, sons, daughters and cousins,” he said. “Another source of joy is the opportunity to spend time with others. My wife and I have been fortunate in that we’ve had the opportunity to spend time with small winery owners in Italy, France and the United States. Wine has long been associated with hospitality and community. For vintners, their wineries often become gathering places where people can connect, share stories and celebrate life’s special moments.”

Find Sipsey Winery in Double Springs at  24972 Highway 195. The Cullman location is at 515 Fourth St. SW, Suite 103. Get more information at Facebook/Sipsey Vineyard and Winery.

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