Losing a job is a reality too many folks are dealing with these days, but some have managed to turn their bad luck into a new opportunity-- perhaps taking a risk they wouldn't normally have taken. So when one Granger man lost his job last fall, he decided to turn his passion for wine making into a new business.

Just about a month ago, John D’Avella opened the first licensed farm winery in St. Joseph County. He’s licensed to operate by the federal, state, and county governments.

Since the early 1900's, John D’Avella says his family has been making wine.

“It floats to the level that's calibrated to show me how much sugar is left,” explains D’Avella. “I've been making wine for twenty years. My family has been making wine for one-hundred years, since before they came to America from Slovakia, and from Italy,” adds D’Avella.

And D'Avella admits a winery in Granger isn't something people are used to.

“Their first reaction is how can you do this? And I show them the licenses, and they say OK, then just stop thinking about it for five seconds. And then they say, what flavors have you got? And they usually take some home,” adds D’Avella.

This wine master says he went through more than 150 batches before finding just the right recipe for each wine.

From the grapes, to fermentation, bottling, even labeling, everything is done in a converted garage at the D'Avella's home.

“The label on the bottle is one of the most tightly regulated parts of the product, you have to carry the government label,” says D’Avella.

D'Avella says he specializes in making wines for people who don't typically enjoy wine.

And if you need to taste to believe, the D'Avella family welcomes you.

“To hear as many compliments as we've gotten is very satisfying. The reason we decided to do this, was to introduce more people to wine and the health benefits to wine, so the more people that consume your product, when you know it's good for them, and it's healthy, when taken in moderation, that's the satisfaction we bring to the community,’ says D’Avella.

D'Avella says it was a long process to get all of the licenses he needed to open up his winery, but it was worth it.

If the business takes off, D'Avella would eventually like to move to a larger site. The tasting room is open Wednesdays through Sundays, from noon until 8 pm. Keep in mind, you must be 21 to enter.

D’Avella Family Winery website: www.dfwinery.com