Fenton Winery & Brewery Owners Set to Purchase Former Creative Wood Property

Matt Sherrow always dreamed of having a beer garden.

Now the owner is very close to making that dream come true.

won an online auction for the former Creative Wood property at 1370 North Long Lake Road Thursday and received word from the bank Friday evening that the bid was accepted. They have 30 days to purchase the property.

“We’ve had our eye on the property for about two years,” Matt said. “It’s a great building.”

The property had been listed for around $600,000, which Matt said was a little out of the Sherrows range, but he said he drove by the location about three weeks ago and saw the sign for the auction, which ran from June 11 to 5 p.m. June 14.

“It was a stretch before, but it was what we have been looking for,” he said.

“When we hit the button and it said ‘sold,’ we were like ‘what did we just do?’” Ginny said.

The couple had always hoped to move into their own location at some point, they just didn’t believe that opportunity would come so soon. They to their North Leroy location in the Lake Winds Plaza in November, which doubled the size of the bar.

However, the former Creative Wood property will allow for many more options, including Matt’s dream beer garden, an outdoor seating area where beer and food can be served. With the set up of the current location, he has been unable to find a way to add outdoor seating effectively.

“Ask our staff about the No. 1 list of things we want and they would say outdoor seating,” Matt said. “I love beer gardens. I want a beer garden and we have always wanted our own place.”

The building is nearly 19,000 square feet with 6,000 square feet of retail space, office space, storage space and a 10,000 square foot warehouse on five acres.

Matt said the warehouse would serve as the production facility and the space is much needed because “we can’t increase with what we have.” He said he could produce 900 bottles of wine at a time while he can only produce 360 at a time currently.

He said production would be moved to the new location for six month to a year before the business would move completely to the new property. Matt said he could also possibly increase beer production from the 12 taps he already has, even though a few years ago he said he would never brew beer.

“I tried it in my kitchen a few times and fell in love with it,” he said.

He added that he wouldn’t rule out adding a distillery, but has no plans to create one.

Matt said the couple hasn’t mapped out any plans, but will try to carry over the atmosphere of the current location.

“When people think of us, they think laid back, so now it’s how to we carry that over to the new location,” he said.

The couple is still a little bit in shock everything came together so quickly and is looking forward to beginning the process.

“It’s exciting and scary for us at the same time,” Ginny said.