Business roundup: Gervasi Vineyard adding The Spa and tasting room set to open next spring

Edd Pritchard, The Repository
·4 min read
Crews from Norman Eckinger Inc. have started moving dirt at Gervasi Vineyard in Canton for additional buildings that will house a spa, a tasting room and additional storage space for wine and distilled spirits. The additional buildings will be in the southwest corner of the grounds.
Crews from Norman Eckinger Inc. have started moving dirt at Gervasi Vineyard in Canton for additional buildings that will house a spa, a tasting room and additional storage space for wine and distilled spirits. The additional buildings will be in the southwest corner of the grounds.

CANTON – There will be additional reasons to visit Gervasi Vineyard in 2023.

Already a destination with four restaurants, multiple villas and a boutique hotel, Gervasi will add The Spa, The Cave, The Rickhouse and more warehouse and distribution space.

The new amenities are the latest additions to the complex, which opened in 2010. New facilities will be in two buildings and construction has started in the southwest corner of the 55-acre estate.

More: Gervasi sites garner Tripadvisor award

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Norman Eckinger Inc. is serving as building designer and contractor.

A rendering of the building that will house The Spa and The Cave at Gervasi Vineyard. The building is under constriction of the south side of the property and the amenities should be open next spring.
A rendering of the building that will house The Spa and The Cave at Gervasi Vineyard. The building is under constriction of the south side of the property and the amenities should be open next spring.

Spa service is the leading request Gervasi staff hears from guests, and adding one shows that Gervasi Vineyard is a true destination resort, Scott Swaldo, chief executive officer and general manager of GV Destinations, said in a press release.

The Spa and The Cave will be in the same building, which is being constructed on a hill. The main floor will house The Spa, which will offer services that include massage, facials, body treatments and manicure and pedicures.

Gervasi has partnered with Michele Pelafas, a Chicago-based spa designer, to create and equip The Spa.

On the lower level will be The Cave, with a 1,000-square-foot tasting room next to a 4,500-square-foot wine barrel cave for barrel aging. The tasting room will to be open during select hours for a traditional wine tasting experience that isn't mixed with a restaurant. The room also will be used for events and Wine Club access.

The 1,500-square-foot Rickhouse will store barrels of bourbon whiskey. Gervasi released its first production of bourbon, gin and vodka in 2019. Gervasi Spirits now includes four bourbons, spiced rum, three liqueurs, a rose vodka, a blood orange gin, small batch vodka and small batch gin.

A rickhouse stores barrels vertically on racks. Gervasi needs the building to manage the aging of bourbon barrels. Meanwhile, an 8,300-square-foot warehouse will store Gervasi products and serve as a distribution center.

Crews from Norman Eckinger Inc. have started moving dirt at Gervasi Vineyard for additional buildings that will house a spa, a tasting room and additional storage space for wine and distilled spirits. The additional buildings will be in the southwest corner of the grounds.
Crews from Norman Eckinger Inc. have started moving dirt at Gervasi Vineyard for additional buildings that will house a spa, a tasting room and additional storage space for wine and distilled spirits. The additional buildings will be in the southwest corner of the grounds.

The Swaldo family opened Gervasi Vineyard in 2010 and the facility has been expanding since.

Restaurants at the site are The Bistro, The Crush House Wine Bar & Eatery, the Still House and the Piazza seasonal outdoor patio. The Marketplace, which recently expanded, offers shopping. There are spaces for events.

Ted Swaldo, founder of GV Destinations, said the company will continue to develop new endeavors. The family loves "the challenge of building new spaces mastering processes that create a memorable experience," he said in the release.

Total Distribution names executive VP

Total Distribution has promoted Greg Hughes to executive vice president of warehouse operations.

Hughes has been with TDI since 2001 and recently served as general operations manager and vice president of operations. He now will direct warehouse operations across TDI's multi-state network.

A division of family-owned Peoples Services, TDI has 45 facilities in Ohio, Michigan, West Virginia, Virginia, North and South Carolina, and Florida. In addition to medical and foodgrade facilities, the company stores and handles chemicals, polymers, and plastics with a range of temperature-controlled and intermodal options.

Darin R. Haines, executive vice president, said in the press release announcing Hughes promotion that the coming year will see more changes for the company.

Surgere now a technical partner with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing team

Surgere, a specialist in Internet of Things supply chain services, has aligned with another automotive racing team.

The Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing team announced that Surgere is a technical partner in the sports car program of the International Motor Sports Association. In March, Surgere said it signed a sponsorship contract with Parker Thompson, a driver on the JDX racing team in the IMSA Porsche Carrera Cup North America series.

Bobby Rahal, co-owner of the of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing with David Letterman and Michael Lanigan, said Surgere provides the technology to help the racing team track inventory and guarantee on-time deliveries.

Surgere, headquartered in Green, has been involved with motorsports since the company formed in 2004, and is excited to join Rahal Letterman Lanigan, said Michael Wappler, vice president of Surgere's motorsports division.

Surgere technology can helped race teams be more efficient and cut costs, as well as help at the track, Wappler said in a press release. “The ability to understand the miles and wear and tear of parts in real-time saves dollars and drives performance," he said.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Canton destination, Gervasi Vineyard, starts more expansion work