What happens when you “mix” a renowned music professor and a dedicated lawyer with creativity and a love of Vermont? You get what’s been described as love at first taste.
Charles and Kate Dodge are on a mission – culinary and social – to make wines and liqueurs from locally sourced ingredients. Just as in France, where wineries are located to take advantage of the specific varieties of grapes grown locally, Putney Mountain Winery has worked with farmers to obtain the best possible fruit from New England. Then Charles crafts innovative recipes for their prize winning wines and liqueurs and bubbly juices. Apples, ginger, rhubarb, black currents to name just a few…the list goes on.
And Putney Mountain Winery expands its mission by being a certified Vermont Green Business that is 100% solar-powered.
You can find Kate and Charles at their tasting rooms in Putney, Windsor and Quechee in addition to local Farmer’s Markets and festivals. You can find their products on store shelves and at your favorite restaurants. Happy customers trade their favorite new ways to use PMW’s offerings on social media.
The Dodge’s say working with VtSBDC has allowed them to: 1. Change their focus to working more on the business and spending less time working in the business. 2. Learn to hire and retain the best employees. 3. Do a great deal more systematic planning on all aspects of the business. 4. Make budgeting more central to our operations. 5. Use the regular check-ins keep our attention on problems big and small.
Charles says, “A small business like ours necessarily changes with time – sometimes in response to external forces and sometimes to reflect the nature of our particular evolving situation. In our years consulting with VtSBDC we have navigated a complex and ever-shifting business picture. Debra Boudrieau, our advisor, has proved invaluable in helping us to navigate at every stage of our evolution.”
When asked to give three words to describe the process of working with VtSBDC, Kate and Charles said: “Focused, experienced and brilliant.”