Gibsonia couple opens Spark Wine Company in their home during pandemic

Finding a spark of joy is important, especially during difficult times.

For one Pine Township couple, that spark came in the form of starting a winery and building a community in the process.

Joe and Lindsey Campisi have turned the sour grapes of the pandemic into delicious wine with their new venture, Spark Wine Company. They obtained all of their permits in the spring, right when covid-19 was ramping up, and have shaped their business accordingly thus far.

“We had been looking at a property, somewhere more traditional, a tasting room and retail location, but we decided it was in our best interest to just hold off,” said Joe Campisi.

Instead, they opted to keep the operation at home, installing four tanks in their 1,300-square-foot unfinished basement to make their wine. “What’s cooler than your husband building you a winery in your basement? What more could a girl ask for?” said Lindsey Campisi, the other half of the Spark Wine Company team.

They currently sell three varieties of wine through their website, sparkwinecompany.com.

They have a catawba, which is a sweet, fruity wine with similarities to white zinfandel.

They also sell two white wines — a diamond, which is sweet and tart with a fresh, strong flavor “like you’re eating grapes straight off the vine”— and an unoaked chardonnay.

They also sell a “slush mix” to add to their wines, as a fun way to “make the perfect drink for a hot summer day.”

They personally make deliveries within 10 miles of their location.

The Campisis are running the winery on their own for now, using the expertise gained from a yearlong winemaking course at Penn State Extension and the business savvy they’ve learned from their full-time corporate careers.

“The interesting thing about both of us, we spent a lot of time in industrial manufacturing space. I’m in IT, she’s in corporate finance,” Joe said.

They are also finding support and inspiration in their families and friends, both as entrepreneurs and wine lovers.

“My family, we’ve always been wine drinkers, the experiences come where you share the wine with someone else, cooking with a bottle of wine … or two,” Lindsey said.

She even spent a summer working with her sister, selling Romanian wine, during college.

Joe’s family is more connected with the business side.

“My family are all entrepreneurs. We’re really learning skills that our family’s had for a long time. It’s nice to connect in that space,” he said.

Building a community of wine lovers, even during a time when many people aren’t gathering to enjoy a few glasses together, has been a great experience for the couple as well.

“The most rewarding thing is that we started selling in July, and now we see people who are coming back for third orders, who got a sampler and now are ordering a case. It’s nice to see the people you recognize. Or, they’re referring their neighbors,” Joe said.

They’re especially enjoying the opportunity to introduce wine drinkers to new, local types of wine.

“I think Pennsylvania offers some great varietals that a lot of people haven’t had. It’s been a good experience, they don’t know what to expect,” Joe said.

They’re even enchanting more traditional dry wine drinkers with their sweeter offerings.

The wine community in Pennsylvania has been nothing but welcoming to these fresh new faces.

“The connections we’ve made with people — there’s something special about connecting with other winemakers,” Joe said. “When we ask for help, it’s a very welcoming industry, especially here in Pennsylvania.”

For the Campisis, there is a deliberate focus on locally grown types of grapes, most of them produced right here in Pennsylvania, many from farmers who have prided themselves on their crops for generations.

That pride carries over to the making of the wine, too, Joe said. “There’s something about the finishing of the product.”

Even if the Spark Wine Company couldn’t make its debut in the way the Campisis envisioned — at a public retail location, and with appearances at wine festivals — they have still found a market, and are having fun in the process. They have bright hopes for the future of their winery, but also want to keep it close to home.

“We want to keep it family-run, that’s important to us. Even his mom helps us. We want to enjoy it as time together, with friends and family, and meet our neighbors,” Lindsey said.