By: Adam Rollins, Staff Writer
Cedar Lake Cellars winery is celebrating 10 years of growing business in the scenic countryside of Warren County.
Located along Highway M southeast of Wright City, the winery and event venue drew more than 100,000 visitors in 2019, said owner Carl Bolm. What started as a much more modest event venue in September 2010, has become a weekend food and wine destination for visitors, many of who come from outside Warren County.
To celebrate 10 years in business, Cedar Lake Cellars is kicking off 10 weeks of celebrations starting this weekend. Weekend events will continue through early November, including a Kentucky Derby watch party, Pyromania fireworks show and Fall Festival.
Details of all the upcoming events can be found online at cedarlakecellars.com/events.
Built from a dream
Cedar Lake Cellars’ 10 years of commercial success were built on the foundation of nearly a decade of prior renovations and improvements before the venue ever opened. The winery was founded on a farm formerly owned by the Schreckengast family, at the corner of Highway M and South Stringtown Road. The original farm buildings were restored and renovated to form the heart of the event venue.
“I spent many years fixing it up. We renovated every building here. We didn’t tear anything down,” Bolm commented. He said he grew up in Foristell, working jobs at farms and small businesses in the Wright City area.
Bolm purchased the future Cedar Lake Cellars property in 2001 from Earloyd and Bonnie Schreckengast. Bolm had previously built a career in restaurant and hospitality management and development.
“I was actually finishing up my helicopter license when I was circling around and I saw this farm. I landed in the back field here, I knocked on that farmhouse door, and I met the owners,” Bolm said. Bolm offered to buy the property and renovate the farm buildings for an event venue, and a short time later the family agreed to sell to him.
“I wanted to do something that I could have fun with, where other people could enjoy themselves, and that’s how we developed the Cedar Lake Cellars brand,” Bolm explained. “My vision and dream was to build something to be an attraction for Warren County.”
Since its initial opening, Cedar Lake Cellars has also built several new buildings to accommodate its ever-growing clientele and events. Earlier this year, the winery received a county permit to add more, larger festivals to its slate of annual events.
“My wife, Gabriella, will tell you that we’re done expanding,” Bolm said with a laugh. “But we’re open to things that make sense.”
Keys to success
Since its opening, Cedar Lake Cellars has grown to employ more than 100 people during its peak season. Between walk-in business, private events and festivals, Cedar Lake Cellars has created a significant revenue stream and generated $1.5 million in sales taxes over 10 years, according to the business.
Bolm said key features to the winery’s success are a good location near multiple interstates, data-focused approach to the market and clientele, and a positive employee culture.
“Especially in the hospitality business, that has one of the highest failure rates ... you have to know your numbers. You have to be all-in, all the time. You have to be a solution provider,” Bolm commented.
“The foundation of the success here is culture. You have to create a culture for your staff, that they’re all pulling the same way, they have each other’s backs, and they work as a team,” Bolm added. “There’s no one person that can do it all.”
