Talking of “little old wine-makers,” have you ever thought of wine-making as a baby boomer business?

There are several wine-making franchise opportunities available, including “Let’s Make Wine,” which was started by Ann Rosenberg, the widow of Dunkin Donuts entrepreneur Bill Rosenberg. Sean Kelly, over at FranchisePick, recently wrote a post about WineStyles, a new wine franchise which might become the Starbucks of Wine.

If you want to try making your own wine, this issue of WineMaker Magazine tells you how.  You could also visit Cape Cora, Florida, and “Time to Make Wine,” where they help you make up your own wines.

Just to get you thinking, you could:

• Start growing your own grapes
• Purchase a winery or vineyard
• Begin a wine store
• Own a wine bar
• Sell wine accessory products.

I would love to hear your ideas for wine-related businesses.

Tags: baby boomers, business opportunities, franchises, wine stores, wine-making

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Filed under: Estates

My favorite houses in Malibu are the beach houses, that whether modern or more traditional, reflect a certain casual style. But up from the beach you can find a few beautiful homes that seem more Holmby Hills than Malibu. This estate, Villa Versailles is yet another entry into the growing category of homes that have been built and then put on the market by those whose wallets and eyes might have been bigger than their stomach for living on such a grand scale. Curbed reported back in April that this 10-bedroom home was built in 1992 by a builder/developer for the love of his life who quickly decided that Malibu’s relative remoteness didn’t suit her. The couple reportedly moved out after a single weekend. And so for over 15 years the home has been on and off the market. It’s been used in many photo and video shoots, rented out for various purposes and generally been gawked at for a long while. The home is on 5.33-acre estate acres including multiple pools, the gardens, the horse stables, and the caretakers’ residence. The home has around 16,000 square feet of space which is significant because Malibu has passed an ordinance restricting the size of homes to 11,172 sq ft for the main home on a five+ acre lot minimum. You couldn’t built one this large yourself there anymore, thank goodness.

The home might be called Villa Versailles but the style is Villa Versace with the black marble restroom, columns topped with gold-painted capitals, and plenty of white and marble everywhere. A house that is not lived in is like a car not driven, it develops a certain staleness. It could benefit from a good stager to warm it up a bit. The home is listed at $23.75 million which is a fair amount for a home that is not beachfront in the area.
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Continue reading Villa Versailles, Estate of the Day

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As I mentioned yesterday, famous wine-maker Robert Mondavi (pictured here enjoying a glass) died recently at the age of 94. Maybe his longevity could be attributed in part to his consumption of his products. Who knows? But it could also be due in part to working out in the sun, walking among the vineyards….

I’m sure you have read studies claiming that wine (particularly red wine), promotes longer life. But some nutrition experts claim that wine is not the ideal source for antioxidants and that, in fact, it can cause some cancers. Like everything else, it’s about MODERATION.

What do you think?

Image source: www.newscom.com

Tags: antioxidants, mercola, Robert Mondavi, wine consumption, wine-making

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Filed under: Small business

Yes, as a kid, I had a slinky. So did many of my friends. What’s more, I remember the catchy commercials.

Well, amazingly enough, the slinky is still going strong. In fact, on CNBC’s “Business Nation,” there’s a look at the intriguing history of this popular toy.

Richard James, an engineer from Pennsylvania, invented the Slinky in 1945. For the most part, the device hasn’t changed much (and is still American-made). Like many great innovations, the Slinky was an accident. Richard wanted to develop a device for shipboard instruments. But, in the development process, he accidentally dropped some springs — which had a rhythm.

Hmmm… could it be a toy? Richard’s wife, Betty, thought so and even came up with the Slinky name. Richard actually spent two years refining the Slinky. And, when it launched, it was an instant hit.

How many Slinkys have been sold? More than 300 million.

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook and The Edgar On the web Guide to Decoding Financial Statements. He also operates MergerBook.com.

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