His Business is Growing

Mornings at the golf course, afternoons in the orchard, a long evening run and hosting wine tastings in between. It’s all in a day’s work for H.T. Page.
    The Wirtz resident maintains a demanding job as maintenance director for several properties owned by The Willard Companies, including The Waterfront and The Westlake country clubs. He and wife Rhonda run an expanding winery business from their home. He’s an accomplished distance runner. Oh, and he’s a woodworker and amateur photographer in his “spare” time.
    “We’re pretty busy,” said Page. “Typically, I work more than 40 hours a week, then take care of the winery business.”
    Page, a native of Nelson County, moved to the Smith Mountain Lake area in 1991 after accepting the position of greens superintendent at The Waterfront.
    “In 1996 I was promoted to Maintenance Director. I had worked on a golf course at Wintergreen Resort during high school and college, took some grounds-keeping courses. I really love working outdoors,” said Page.
    In his current position, Page spends most of his time outdoors.
    “I oversee the landscaping and turf at the properties,” he said. “Before a golf tournament, my team will come in and get everything ready. I do a lot of ordering [of supplies]. I just use my experience to help out wherever needed.”

Fairways to Fruit Trees
    Page also applies that expertise to his newest business endeavor, Brooks Mill Winery. He and Rhonda, with the help of their two adult children, turned part of their 5-acre property off Brooks Mill Road in Franklin County into a small fruit farm and wine-making operation nearly a dozen years ago.
    “I had observed other area wineries and thought, ‘I could do that,’“ said Page. “We grow blackberries, blueberries, peaches, pears, apples, cherries and some plums here. We buy the grapes we use. It’s tougher to grow grapes. They require more TLC.
    “The winery is a joint effort. Rhonda does the paperwork and we make the wine together, but she always says I’m the winemaker, she’s the wine drinker.”
    Brooks Mill Winery, which officially opened in December 2008, produces eight fruit wines for sale at the winery shop and several area retailers. Two wines recently won awards.
    “Our blueberry wine won gold in its division at the 2010 Finger Lakes International Wine Competition last spring,” he said. “The blackberry won bronze. It’s quite an honor.”
    Page said he’s looking forward to featuring his creations at this year’s Smith Mountain Lake Wine Festival, which will take place Sept. 25-26 at LakeWatch Plantation.
    “Last year was our first year at the SML Wine Festival, and we’re going back again this year,” he said. “We’ve done several others in the area, too – one in Vinton, Blacksburg. We’re doing one in Roanoke and [another] in Salem this fall.”

Downtime Diversions
    Between keeping golf courses green and berry bushes thriving during the hottest months of the year, Page has his hands full. To help deal with the pressure, he found himself returning to a hobby from his youth.
    “I ran for two years in high school, then quit,” he said. “Summers are very stressful in the turf business. By August, you’re pretty stressed out. Running is a great stress-buster; it’s my time alone and that’s why I started doing it again.”
    Page enters a variety of distance races each year, including many local races and a biathlon held annually at the Roanoke Rifle & Revolver Club. True to his nature, Page views running as an opportunity for achievement.
    “I ran the Richmond Marathon with Team in Training in 2000 and raised over $6,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. And I won the Master’s Division which is men over 40. It’s a lot of fun to beat the younger guys,” he said. “I’ve done several half marathons. I won the Roanoke Star City half in 1999.”
    Somehow, Page manages to fit two other hobbies into his full schedule. Thanks to his woodworking skills and photography interest, the Page home is decorated with beautifully crafted wood furniture and artistic landscape photographs.
    But for now, the winery is where most of Page’s extracurricular effort is focused.
    “We do hope to keep the winery business growing,” he said. “It’s our retirement plan.”