Family Harvest: Father and Son Find Success Through Fruits of Their Labor 

They say the ‘apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,’ but for this father and son duo— Randy and Max Reichwage—it’s as if two grapes grew on the same vine.

As a proud father, husband, and co-founder of GW Kent—one of the most respected national suppliers of commercial beer-brewing and wine-making products in the industry today—Randy is proof of how hard work, family values, and nurturing your passion is a winning combination for success. For nearly 40 years, Randy and his wife and business partner, Chantal, have been a team. Together, they raised their family of three children while building a business that all began with Randy’s love of beer as well as his hobby as a homebrewing enthusiast. As for their son, Max? Well, his upbringing around homebrewing, wine making, and basement experiments have been the foundation of his success, and contributed to his latest accolade as “Wine Business’ Winemaker of the Month.” So, how did this legacy of beer and wine begin? For the Reichwage’s, it’s all in the family.

Family Connections

“My interest in homebrewing all started when my grandfather would tell me stories of how he made beer during the prohibition—even though he was a cop,” Randy said laughingly. “As Germans, he and his 12 brothers all drank beer. It piqued my interest to want to learn more about it.” As a life-long resident of Michigan, Randy explained how he had been homebrewing and even making wine when he met his wife, Chantal. “After we married in 1982, we both decided to start our own business—selling supplies to home brew shops.”

Over the years, Randy and Chantal mastered the work-life balance while raising their children and running a business. Randy said it was important to instill a solid work ethic in his children right from the start. “Chantal loved brewing the beer in the kitchen,” Randy explained. “She had the kids by her side, capping bottles with this cool hand-capper machine. They loved it.”

As their children grew older, Randy explained how all three of them worked in the warehouse—without pay—even during their summer break. “We bought Bob Seger’s old recording studio in Ann Arbor and converted it into a warehouse and retail shop,” he said. “It was a great setup. We displayed our merchandise on the stage and sold it to local customers. Whether the kids worked in the office, the packaging department or any other role, it was important to Chantal and me to show them the importance of working hard for what you want.”

Building the Business for an Expanding Industry

From the mid-1980s to the 1990s, homebrewing became increasingly popular as more states opened up to it. Randy explained how he joined a club for homebrewers where the members swapped ideas to move their business plans forward—as well as make better beer. “There are ‘brewers’ and there are ‘beer enthusiasts.’ Today’s brewers are like chefs: There’s a definite artistry to brewing. Beer enthusiasts, on the other hand, want variety. It’s similar to pairing wine with food. It’s all about the experience.”

By 1995, Randy stopped selling to home brew shops and focused more on the commercial side, where he sold to wineries and breweries. Gradually, GW Kent made more of a name for itself, having expanded from selling smaller parts for the home wine maker to larger equipment and

‘fittings.’ “For us, it’s all about eliminating the middleman and selling high-quality parts at a reasonable price. We want to make it easier for our customers to order from us by putting our prices out there—without any haggling.” Today, one would be hard-pressed to find a brewer or winemaker that is not using a product—or more—from GW Kent.

With the company’s success as a national leading supplier for craft breweries and wineries, Randy’s leadership as a role model and supportive dad paved the way for his son Max to become a notable winemaker and owner of two California estate vineyards. Read on, as the story continues to learn how Max has harvested his success through family values, a strong work ethic, and nurturing a passion of his own.

Max’s Journey into the Industry

Max was asked what it was like growing up around homebrewing and winemaking. He laughingly replied: “As a kid, it was weird. There were experiments going on in the basement with all kinds of strange smells. Little did I know then that I would earn a Chemistry degree from the University of Michigan years later and work in a lab. I always liked the sciences. It’s something I am good at.” Winemaking, on the other hand, wasn’t on Max’s radar at that time. “The funny thing is that back then I wasn’t a wine drinker. I preferred beer.”

After earning his degree, Max’s dream of working outdoors became more prevalent. “I worked in a chemistry lab without windows,” he explained. “I realized it was time to switch things up and pursue a career in winemaking. It was a pipedream I always had. I decided it was time to give it a shot.”

California Dreaming

Max moved to Napa Valley, California, where he gained experience working in the wine industry as well as in Emilia-Romagna, Sonoma, Tasmania, and Burgundy. Soon after, he enrolled in the UC Davis Viticulture and Enology Master’s program, where he conducted research on extraction in red wine fermentation—and which was published in the “American Journal of Enology and Viticulture” in 2015 and 2017.

Then, in 2014, Max’s dream of owning his own vineyard ripened into reality. “My parents were interested in buying a vineyard,” he said. “They came out to California, and together, we looked at different sites. We found a historic apple-growing ranch outside of Sebastopol, California. It was a real fixer-upper with an abandoned building. The best part about it was it had the existing footprint for fruit processing. The worst part was the five years it took to obtain the permits to have our winery built.” With patience and passion at hand, Max planted grapes on the land they named Twin Hills and made wine at a rented space until he received the final permit to make his own wine and cider. Surprisingly, one year later—over the Fourth of July weekend of 2015—Max purchased a second vineyard, Mancini Ranch, which is a historic old vine vineyard. “The founders of Mancini Ranch were from Italy and had a mixture of grapes growing from Europe—mostly Zinfandel from Croatia,” he explained. “We replanted about one-third of the vineyard and have been rejuvenating the land and older vines to make our own world-class old vine Zinfandel.”

Today, Reichwage Winery grows, produces, and bottles their own wines from two estate vineyards in Western Sonoma County. “We are proud to be producing classically-made single vineyard pinot noir at Twin Hills and world-class old vine field blend wines at Mancini Ranch.

Working and overseeing the 24 acres of vines between the two vineyards is a dream come true.”

Family Circle

With family at the forefront of the Reichwage legacy, it comes as no surprise that Max’s wife Eva has been around the wine industry most of her life, as well. “Eva is the general manager of her family’s 100-acre winery that was founded in the 1970s,” Max explained. “We are a multi-generational family of winemakers. “Our two-year old daughter keeps us busy. Only time will tell if she will be the next one in line on the vine.”

Family Business

With Max running two estate vineyards at Reichwage Winery—in Western Sonoma County and Randy at the helm at GW Kent—it’s only natural that the majority of the equipment at the winery is from GW Kent. “We work hard to produce the finest wines, so it only makes sense to have the best equipment,” Max said proudly. “From barrel racks to gaskets and fittings, GW Kent is our go-to for quality winemaking supplies.”

A Fruitful Future

With his first vintage chardonnay being released this fall, Max is excited about the next phase of his winery. “We will be planting another acre of chardonnay soon. Although we won’t see a first harvest before 2027, our customers are loving our wines and the experience. It’s all about them.” He plans on expanding the customer experience at the old farmhouse tasting room by serving food alongside the wine tastings and also holding music events once a month. “Whether it’s our loyal customers or new ones stopping by for a wine tasting, our goal is to make everyone feel welcome and to enjoy our wine. That truly is the ‘fruit of our labor.’”

Coming to Harvest

Reflecting on the past 40 years, Randy said he couldn’t think of a better industry to work in. “The industry is not only exciting and fun, but the people are creative and work hard. I’m happy I chose to do this for 40 years instead of being a certified public accountant,” he said laughingly. It should be noted that Randy is one of the founding members of Lotus Beverage Alliance, a company that is comprised of craft beverage enthusiasts from all industries. With over 100 years of combined experience, the Lotus team offers a wider range of craft brewing products and services.

“Being a part of Lotus Beverage Alliance feels like home. There’s nothing better than working with like-minded people that share your same passion.” As for his son Max, Randy said he couldn’t be prouder. “You never know where your kids will end up. For me, I’m thrilled to see that we came full circle—growing on the same vine.”

Great Buys and Immediate Availability

Winemakers, listen up! Did you know that GW Kent stocks commercial wine making equipment and supplies for immediate delivery? The company boasts the largest tank stock available in the United States, along with the best quality products essential for professional winemakers. With quick shipping, stocked inventory, competitive pricing, and high-quality products, GW Kent is not only a trusted supplier but ready to ship what you want, when you need it. Learn more here.