Distillery, winery may be in the works
BROOKSVILLE — Hernando County soon might have a large-scale distillery and winery.
At Monday’s planning and zoning meeting, commissioners will hear two separate presentations from applicants who need special permits to open their business.
The first will be from Anna and Jason Hunt, who want to operate a micro-distillery on 18.5 agriculturally zoned acres off Allman Road.
The Hunts plan to produce sugar-based alcohols infused with a variety of flavors to create liqueurs and liquors. The distillery would use an existing structure to store equipment, supplies and inventory.
Initially, production would consist of 160 gallons of proof alcohol, which equals 480 gallons of finished product.
Within one year of start-up, the Hunts plan to open an additional storage facility and larger building for distilling, which would result in an increase in production of 320 gallons of proof alcohol, or 960 gallons of finished product.
The distillery would be family-owned and initially operated with no outside employees. The Hunts said future expansions might require up to three additional employees because they plan to sell the product statewide.
Proposed hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The facility would not be open to the public.
The Hunts plan to buy all their ingredients from local stores or farmers markets and will not grow fruits or grains for the manufacture of the product.
They don’t anticipate being noisy.
“Other than a small personal radio, we will not be playing loud music,” wrote Anna Hunt.
“We intend to promote and advertise off-site, to liquor stores, bars and restaurants,” she said. “Therefore, we will not be holding tasting parties or events.”
Meanwhile, Joseph Sparacia is asking for a permit to operate a winery, vineyard and tasting room on 28 acres on the north side of Snow Hill Road, just west of Brice Drive.
Sparacia states in a planning staff report that the winery-tasting room would consist of two buildings. He would use a two-story home for tasting rooms and office space for the operation’s manager. The second structure, an existing workshop, would be converted into storage.
The northern half of the parcel would be used to cultivate grapes, and the remaining half for events and parking.
Sparacia said the winery would sell high-quality wines by the glass, bottle or case.
Wine tastings would be offered from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Mondays and Saturdays, and from noon to 8 p.m. on Sundays.
He also plans to open a parent-supervised kids playground on site.
In the report, Sparacia says his mission is to “produce the highest quality wines from premium grown Hernando County resources (and) establish a tourist-visitor experience specific to the west coast of Florida.”
The planning and zoning meeting begins at 9 a.m. Monday at the Hernando County Government Center, 20 North Main St., in downtown Brooksville.
To view the agenda, visit http://hernandocounty fl.iqm2.com/citizens/
(352) 544-5290
