Terhune Orchards Winery began the demolition process Monday of constructing a new 3,500-square-foot barn production facility.
LAWRENCE -- The first phases of construction began Monday on a new barn at Terhune Orchards that will allow the family-run Lawrence farm make more wine.
Owner Gary Mount said the facility - a 3,500-square-foot wine-production facility fashioned Amish-style will allow for the production of "a lot" more wine.
"Oh gosh, we're selling out of everything," Mount said. "This will add more room to plan for more wine."
Mount said Terhune sells directly to customers and has no intention of becoming a large wholesale winery but the space they originally operated out of was "quite modest" and they needed to expand to keep up with production demands.
"We're pleased our customers enjoy our wine," Mount said. "One customer favorite, which is also my favorite, is our apple wine which we make from our apple cider."
On Monday, demolition began on several garages and a staff break room to make room for the barn production center, Mount said.
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Mount said they are planning to break ground on the barn sometime in the next week and hope to begin operating out of the building in the spring of 2016.
Mount said the new facility will be energy efficient with features such as solar paneling but will still look much like the adjacent 150-year-old barn used for wine tasting.
"It's been a while coming so we're especially excited," Mount said, saying the effort to Terhune years to secure building permits.
He said the 55-acre Terhune Orchards Farm on Cold Soil Road - which was bought by the Mounts in 1975 - planted their first acres of grape seeds in 2006 and in 2010 started bottling and selling wine.
The winery now comprises eight acres of land and produces 12 different types of wine.
"Things are coming along bit by bit," Mount said. "We're still beginners. What we're trying to do is make wine that people like."
Mount said the construction will not affect access to the Terhune Orchards Farm Store or the winery's tasting room.
Lindsay Rittenhouse may be reached at lrittenhouse@njadvancemedia.com. Find NJ.com on Facebook.