Use our Spectrum News app for the best experience and stay connected with your community. learn more

Brevard County, Fla.—Halloween spirits were not the only factor that bothered brewers this October. For several weeks, many of them have been dealing with how to convey their spirit to customers in response to another challenge of the pandemic: glass bottles.

The difficulties associated with COVID have forced some people, such as Ron Folino, the owner of the Oceanside winery in Cape Canaveral, to use creativity to keep things moving.

Folino said: “Due to the logistics situation that has occurred since COVID-19 affected the United States, we were unable to obtain American bottles.” “In fact, when we finally received a call for the purchase order, they told us that they wanted to outsource the product to India. "

Folino said they have been dealing with this headache since July. That was shortly after Oceanside reopened its tasting room door as the first winery in Brevard County in late May.

The company integrates coastal art and the tradition of Folino. Both his father and grandfather were winemakers. When they walked in the front door, their stills were in front and in the center of the wall, constantly reminding and paying homage to his history.

"My grandfather's hobby is to be a very skilled metal worker. He made this receiver or storage unit out of copper barrels. He actually built the distiller out of another container," Folino said.

Folino said that grappa was one of the best things his grandfather made.

Decades later, he is now in charge of the family heritage of this new company, but he pointed out that it was not his intention to switch from an American supplier to a French bottle manufacturer.

"Now, it's not without a little surcharge, but as you can see, the bottle arrived on time. When they said they were coming here, they gave us a container. It took less than half a month, even though we passed Brokers, another company will not be able to deliver to us until 2022," Folino said.

On Thursday, this batch of about 9,000 glass bottles from Saver Glass arrived from the factory in Condom, France. 

Overall, the delay in shipments put Folino's business behind his desire to take some of their spirits out of barrels and put them in bottles. He said they hope to receive a bottle of shipment in August.

But he said there is a glimmer of hope in all this.  

"The product has to sit longer, but this is not a bad thing," Folino said with a smile. "It puts more time on wood, but we need to put some products on the shelves."

He said that although it was not their original intention, they are satisfied with the quality of the bottles they are now receiving. Folino said that they plan to move forward because the supply chain problem does not seem to be resolved soon.

"Our quality depends on our bottles, raw materials and supplies," Folino said. "And we are not sad about dealing with the French on the bottle, that's for sure."