>>GERRY: WELCOME BACK·COMING TOYOU THIS WEEK FROM FORT WAYNEWHERE THERE IS A 'SWEET SIDE' TOTHE REGION'S ECONOMY.
CELEBRITIES INCLUDING CLINTONKELLY AND COLBIE CAILLAT HAVEBECOME FANS OF THESE FINECHOCOLATES MADE RIGHT HERE IN
FORT WAYNE.DEBRAND FINE CHOCOLATES WASFOUNDED IN 1987 BY ARTISANCHOCOLATIER CATHY BRAND, WHO
BEGAN WORKING WITH CHOCOLATE ATTHE AGE OF 8.TODAY THEIR DEBRAND HAS 5LOCATIONS BETWEEN FORT WAYNE AND
INDIANAPOLIS.>>GERRY: NOT FAR FROM WHERE WEARE RIGHT NOW, SITS THE QUAINTTOWN OF ROANOKE.
THE HUNTINGTON COUNTY TOWN HAS ALITTLE MORE THAN 1700 RESIDENTSAND IS HOME TO THE AWARD-WINNINGFINE DINING RESTAURANT, JOSEPH
DECUIS, WHICH OFFERS UNIQUE"FARM TO FORK" EXPERIENCES, INADDITION TO A FARM, RETAIL STOREAND COUNTRY INN.
AND FROM DELICIOUS FOOD TO FINEWINE, ALSO IN HUNTINGTON COUNTYIS TWO EE'S WINERY.ESTABLISHED IN 2013 BY ERIC AND
EMILY HARRIS, IN ITS FIRST 18MONTHS OF OPERATION, ERIC WASRECOGNIZED AS A RISING STARWINEMAKER!
JOINING ME NOW ARE CEO OF JOSEPHDECUIS, PETE ESHELMAN AND HEADWINEMAKER & OWNER OF TWO EE'S,ERIC HARRIS.
WELCOME.>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.>> PETE, I WILL START WITHYOU, YOU ARE GETTING
INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONALRECOGNITION YOU WERE DRAFTED BYTHE YANKEES AND WEAR A BASEBALLPLAYERS AND WORKED IN THE FRONT
OFFICE.HOW DO YOU GO FROM BASEBALL TOTHE RESTAURANT BUSINESS?>> I GRADUATED FROM COLLEGE
AND DRAFTED BY THE YANKEES ANDTORE MY ROTATOR CUFF AND GEORGESTEINBRENNER GAVE ME A OFFICE INTHE FRONT OFFICE.
SO HE WAS THE FIRST ONE TO OFFERGUARANTEED CONTRACTS I TOOK THATAND TURNED THAT INTO A BUSINESSAND THEN I DIDN'T LIKE WORKING
FOR BIG COMPANY AND SET UP MYOWN BUSINESS AND 30 YEARS LATERSPORTS.>> TALK ABOUT JOSEPH DECUIS
TALK ABOUT THE FARM TO FORKRESTAURANT.GIVE US A DESCRIPTION OF THERESTAURANT.
>> IT IS FINE DINING BUT FUN.AND THE DISTINCTION WE HAVE ASWE HAVE A FARM 6 MILES AWAYWHERE WE RAISE MOST OF THE FOOD
FOR THE RESTAURANT.>> AND VERY IMPORTANT YOUFOCUS ON FARM TO FORK.THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT PIECE.
>> IT'S VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSEIF YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE A FINDDINING RESTAURANT AND OUR GOALWAS TO HAVE ONE OF THE FINEST
FINE DINING RESTAURANTS INAMERICA WHEN WE STARTED YOU HAVETO HAVE GREAT INGREDIENTS ANDTHE BEST INGREDIENTS YOU RAISE
YOURSELF OR YOU SOURCE LOCALLY.PRETTY SIMPLE.>> ROANOKE QUITE INTERESTED --REPUTATION AS A CULINARY
REPUTATION.AND ERIC WINE BUSINESS 2013,TALK ABOUT THE GROWTH AT THE TWOEE'S WINERY.
>> IN THE FIRST YEAR WEPRODUCED A LITTLE UNDER15,000 GALLONS SOLD THROUGH MORETHAN HALF OF IT AND THIS YEAR ON
TRACK TO DO MORE THAN40,000 GALLONS.IT'S BEEN QUITE A LEAP.>> WHAT'S BEEN FEELING THAT
GROWTH AND DRIVING THAT?>> I CAN'T SIT HERE AND SAYIT'S ONLY ONE THING.WE WORK HARD ON EVERYTHING WE DO
AND WE TAKE OUR CUSTOMERSFEEDBACK INTO CONSIDERATION WITHEVERY CHANGE OR MODIFICATION ORNEW WIND THAT WE PRODUCE.
SO I WOULD SAY IT IS A FOCUS ONQUALITY AND BRINGING PEOPLE WHATTHEY ASK FOR.>> PETE, AS YOU LOOK AT
ROANOKE AND TALK ABOUT THEEVOLUTION I GUESS OF A SMALLCOMMUNITY, PERHAPS DOWN ON ITSLUCK, IT MAY BE AT ONE POINT.
IT CHANGED DRAMATICALLY WITHTHIS CULINARY FLAVOR THAT'SEVIDENT THERE.>> WE MOVED TO ROANOKE ALMOST
25 YEARS AGO AND WE BOUGHT ABUILDING FOR OUR INSURANCECOMPANY AND WE COULD AFFORD ITAND THE TOWN WAS REALLY IN
DECLINE.BUT AS THE INSURANCE COMPANYGROUP WE BOUGHT MORE BUILDINGSAND MORE BUILDINGS AND MORE
BUILDING AND WEAR A CATALYST TOFIX UP THE TOWN.AND THEN THE FINE DININGRESTAURANT WAS REALLY A PRIVATE
DINING ROOM FOR SPORTSENTERTAINMENT CLIENTS.AND THEN IN 2000 AND IT TURNEDINTO WE OPENED IT FOR THE
PUBLIC.AND WHAT'S KIND OF COOL, THEINSURANCE COMPANY CREATED REALLYTHE MONEY, THE WHEREWITHAL TO
FIX UP THE TOWN, BUT THERESTAURANT IS REALLY THE DRAWTURNING THAT LITTLE TOWN INTO ADESTINATION.
>> ERIC, WINE IS YOUR FOCUS,BUT YOU ARE ALSO GETTING INTOINNOCENCE THE ENTERTAINMENTBUSINESS BECAUSE YOU HAVE AN
AMPHITHEATER.>> YOU KNOW, WHEN WE STARTEDTHE WINERY, WE THOUGHT PEOPLECOULD COME IN AND SAMPLE WINE
AND LEAVE WITH SOME BOTTLES ANDWHAT WE FOUND IS THAT IT'S ASETTING THEY ENJOY THEY WANT TOSTICK AROUND AND ENJOY A GLASS
OF WINE OR TWO AND PEOPLE -- THECONCEPT OF WINE, FOOD, AND MUSICHAS ALWAYS BEEN POPULAR SO WESTARTED HAVING LIVE BANDS AND
IT'S GOTTEN TO A POINT WHERE ONOUR WEEKENDS WE CALL THEMWEEKEND ON THE COURT, FRIDAY ANDSATURDAY EVENINGS THROUGHOUT THE
SPRING SUMMER AND FALL WE WILLHAVE AS MANY AS 6-700 PEOPLE INJOINING WINE MUSIC AND FOODTRUCKS ON THE PATIO.
>> I SHOULD MENTION THAT THISIS SIGNIFICANT.TWO EE'S WINERY VOTED BY USATODAY AS THE BEST TASTING ROOM
IN THE USA.>> YEAH YOU KNOW, [CHUCKLING]IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE WHEREGOING AFTER BUT IT JUST KIND OF
FELL ON US.WE WERE NOMINATED AMONG 20 OTHERWINERIES THE MAJORITY WEST COASTON A COUPLE OF NEW YORK WINERIES
AND A LITTLE OLD US INHUNTINGTON COUNTY.IT TURNED OUT THAT WE ENDED UPWINNING AND I THINK A LOT OF
THAT HAS TO DO WITH OFFERING AUNIQUE PRODUCT AND UNIQUEEXPERIENCE AND REALLY JUSTFOCUSING ON EXCELLENCE,
SOMETHING I LEARNED FROM THISGUY.>> SOME CULINARY TOURISM IS ABIG FOCUS AND NO BETTER EXAMPLE