Nestled in the heart of Downtown Cedar City lies a true gem: IG Winery. Surrounded by the vibrant energy of Center Street, IG Winery has not only redefined the landscape of winemaking in Southern Utah but has also become a cherished landmark in the community. In our conversation, we unravel the tale of IG Winery’s humble beginnings, tracing its roots from a modest cottage behind the Iron Gate Bed & Breakfast to its current standing as the oldest and largest winery in Southern Utah. Welcome to an exclusive behind-the-scenes glimpse into the captivating world of winemaking in Southern Utah.
Catori
Could you take us back to the early days of IG Winery’s inception? What was the initial inspiration behind starting the winery, and how did the founders navigate the challenges of establishing a presence in a region devoid of winemaking for over a century?
IG Winery:
To put it into perspective, it’s probably helpful to remember that at that time (2011) there were no wineries in southern Utah, and only a couple up north in Salt Lake City. The state was not overly sophisticated when it came to wineries or winery operations, so in many ways we all had to learn together. The state does have a rich history of wineries, especially in Washington County, and historians have clearly documented a lot of the grape growing that was taking place back in the mid-to-late 1800s. For these reasons we were confident that when we got around to planting a vineyard it should do well in this area. The other major factor in causing us to look at Southern Utah was the enormous amount of tourism in the area, and the fact that there were no wineries. We liked the idea of being the first one into the area, and we knew that with that much tourism, there would be a lot of out-of-town travelers that may be looking for the type of winery experience that we were eager to provide.
To be perfectly honest, we had looked around southern Utah at a lot of different locations to put a winery but back at that time, nothing seemed to be a good fit. When we approached the city council and mayor of Cedar City, they were extremely friendly to our efforts and eager to see us establish something there in town. Even city leaders that weren’t wine drinkers or were not familiar with the wine business were very open to what we were trying to accomplish.
Unfortunately, there were no city ordinances or zoning codes that would allow for a winery so we had to work with the city planner to write zoning ordinances that would allow for a winery. We really were starting from the very first steps when we began this process. The other fact that we came to terms with very quickly, was that we were going to have to build, not only a business, but an entire industry if we were going to be successful. Wineries do well when there are lots of them in an area and they can create their own tourism when the concentration of wineries gets high enough. Being the first winery in a region with no competition also meant that we had to educate the community about what a winery is, what it does, and why it’s something that should be welcomed. We still work hard at that because it seems that no matter how long we’ve been here, and no matter what sort of marketing we undertake, we still find far too many local residents that have no idea we exist.
Catori
Please share some anecdotes or memorable moments from IG Winery’s early years, highlighting the challenges and triumphs that shaped its journey?
IG Winery
There are so many stories about the strains, struggles and triumphs of starting a business like this and those are multiplied when you are the first of this type in the area. I know we had overly optimistic expectations for revenue and since we had taken a cottage and transformed it into a small winery behind the Iron Gate bed-and-breakfast we took on more debt than we should have during that process. That certainly made servicing our debt a challenge in those early years.
Another challenge we had upfront in the early years was that the DABS had come out and done an initial inspection of our original location and had tentatively approved it for a winery. With that understanding, we went ahead and built the new building, but when it was time to open, the DABS notified us that we were too close to the Episcopal Church, and while we could have a winery that would manufacture wine and conduct wine tastings, we would not be allowed to sell it at that location; an unfortunate detail they left out during the initial inspection. Of course you could imagine being able to make a product but not sell it would spell the end of pretty much any business. We were blessed that a man down the street had a vacant lot and was willing to lease it to us for a very reasonable price and so we bought a Tuff Shed and placed it on his lot and used that as our retail store. Understand though that in Utah, you can’t have a retail location without doing production there as well so we had to set up the little Tuff Shed like a second winery and produce and bottle wines there as well, in order to make it all legal. Needless to say, getting our customers to taste at the cottage behind the B&B, and then walk down the road to buy a bottle made selling the wine a real challenge.
I think another crazy thing that happened very early on was that we picked the name Iron Gate Winery because we were located behind the Iron Gate bed-and-breakfast and went ahead and branded all of our labels and materials and buildings as such. About six months after we opened the doors we received a letter from a law firm out of New Zealand that said they owned the US rights to the name Iron Gate Winery and demanded a cease and desist. Well, as a new company, we did not have any money to fight a legal battle so we acquiesced and changed the name to IG Winery from then on. About two years later, we went out and trademarked the name Instant Gratification because the words matched the letters I and G and that is how we came to be known as Instant Gratification Winery, though we still predominantly use I/G Winery in all of our branding and logos.
Catori
Could you elaborate on the sourcing of grapes for IG Winery’s wines from various regions, including Washington, Oregon, California, and Utah? How does this diverse sourcing contribute to the complexity and character of IG Winery’s wines?
IG Winery
Sourcing from states, like Washington, Oregon, or California is often a simple matter of supply and demand. We would love to be able to make all our wines from Utah grapes but there is not nearly enough supply to meet the demand for our winery, to say nothing of the five others that are now operating here in the southern end of the state. When we opened back in 2012 there were no vineyards from which we could buy Utah fruit so we had no choice but to procure fruit from other locations. We are pleased to say that today there are about 50 acres of vineyards and we are pleased to be able to say that we played a part in encouraging that growth.
Nonetheless, 90% of that fruit is spoken for and so we still must procure out-of-state fruit. I think we have been able to work this to our advantage by building different tiers of wine that give our customers a broad range from which to choose. We can source grapes at varying prices and in turn sell our wines at different price points to satisfy different budgets. We have also been fortunate enough to maintain a relationship with some very high-end vineyards in Napa so that we can offer some very exclusive Napa Cabernets and Napa red blends for any customers that want that type of experience while they are here in Utah. That should not be taken to mean that we are not proud of our Utah fruit, quite the opposite; I think the Utah wines are already extremely good and as we have more time to work with them and work with vineyard management, I think Utah grown fruit is going to be able to make some truly spectacular wines.
Catori
In what ways has IG Winery contributed to the cultural and economic development of Downtown Cedar City and the surrounding region, beyond its role as a winemaking establishment?
IG Winery
Well, as I’ve already mentioned, we are proud to be sort of the founding fathers of the Utah wine industry down in the south end of the state at least, but that is not intended to take anything away from the hard work that has been done by the other wineries that have come after us. The winery owners and winemaking community in southern Utah is a very tight knit community and we all get along very well. It’s truly fun to get together as a group and encourage one another, share tips and anecdotes, trade some equipment, and the myriad of other things that everyone does to help each other succeed.
As far as Cedar City goes, I think we have helped revitalize some of the traffic downtown and done what we can along with the restaurants in the area to make downtown Cedar City a fun place to hang out. I think to some degree we have also helped to re-define what an alcohol service establishment can be. I/G Winery happens to have a bar license because we want to be able to serve glasses of wine to our regular customers instead of requiring them to do a tasting over and over again. In order to serve wine by the glass ib the state of Utah, we must have a bar license but when we got our bar license, we were also told that we were required, by the issuance of said license, to have cocktails on our menu as well. Despite offering cocktails, we have worked hard to maintain our reputation and our business as a winery first, and as a bar second. I think because of that, we have garnered some appreciation from the city that sees that we can redefine what a business with a bar license can be and the important niche it can fill within the community.
Catori
Looking ahead, what exciting developments or offerings can customers anticipate from IG Winery in the coming years? Are there any new projects or collaborations on the horizon that you can share with us?
IG Winery
We are a forward-looking company and we are always looking towards the next adventure for us and our employees. Last year we planted a 6 acre vineyard in Rockville, so we will be working hard over the coming years to make that a great place to grow grapes, but also to hold weddings and special events. We are also looking forward to remodeling in the next month or two to give the winery a fresh look and provide much needed additional seating for our customers. Then of course, we never close our eyes to any opportunities that may come our way but what those may be… only time will tell.
Catori
How did the local community respond to the emergence of IG Winery and the revitalization of the winemaking industry in Southern Utah?
IG Winery
I think the community is excited to see our industry grow. I think this is especially true for those who are involved in the tourism industry here in southern Utah. As the wine industry grows we believe it’s not long before it will generate its own wine-based tourism. Mark Bold at Bold and Delaney Winery has been working hard to get an official American Viticultural Area (AVA) designation for Washington County which means that Southern Utah will have its first official designation as a wine producing region by the US Tax & Trade Bureau. This is a big deal for growers in the state, and will bring recognition and prestige to our State.
In addition, I/G Winery began the Utah Wine Festival (www.utahwinefest.com) which will now be in its sixth year here in southern Utah. Cedar City is known as the Festival City and so a wine festival such as this is a great fit. With that said, The festival holds events at the other wineries and we’re seeing the festival spread even to Salt Lake City where they are showing signs that they want to be a part of the fun as well. That of course is great for our industry because that just spreads the word across the entire state that the Utah wine industry is on the march. In addition to the Utah Wine Festival, the Utah wineries have started the Utah Wine Trail (www.utahwinetrail.com) and with the help of all the wineries down here in the south we have created an experience that revolves around Utah wines. People taking the wine trail can start at any winery, get a wine trail pass, and as they visit each winery they get their pass stamped, and when they have visited all six wineries, they receive a nice gift as our way of saying thank you for visiting our Utah wineries. It’s just another example of how the Utah wine industry is working together to build something we can all be proud of here in Southern Utah.
Catori
Where can we find your goods?
IG Winery
IG Winery is located in the heart of downtown Cedar City at 59 W. Center St., Cedar City UT 84720. We’ve got a beautiful tasting room here where you can come in and do a tasting, relax, listen to some music and then buy a few bottles of wine to take home with you. We are open Tuesdays through Sundays and no appointment is necessary, just come on in and join the fun. You can also get more information about us at www.igwinery.com or at our Facebook and Instagram pages: @igwinery.
