Turks Head Wines Is A Dream Business For This Husband And Wife Team

by Melissa Jacobs

Turks Head Wines is the new toast of West Chester. The Turks Head Wines tasting room and wine lounge opens Aug. 29 and is already getting rave reviews. Turks Head Wines, created by husband-and-wife team Allison and Josh Owen, transformed a 10,000 square foot space at 120 N. Church Street into a destination experience for wine lovers.

Turks Head Wines, which will be open Thursdays – Sundays, features a bar, tasting room, the members-only Cru Club lounge, the Blue Room experience for four guests, and the Barrel Room for larger parties. “We offer a multitude of ways to interact with wine,” explained Allison Owen. “The concept is similar to what California wineries offer, in that you go there to have a complete experience, including great wine, some education and a lot of fun.”

In a nutshell, the Owens created the kind of place they want to frequent. “We always go into the borough for dinner and love it,” Allison said. “But where do we go to have a great bottle of wine, sit and be able to hear ourselves have a conversation? West Chester has amazing bars and restaurants, but we thought that was lacking. That’s what we envision.”

Meanwhile, Turks Head’s wine is for sale. All of the fruit is harvested in California; Turks Head is made of wine from 13 vineyards. The wines are made in California, too. Turks Head specializes in Bordeaux style varietals. The rosé and semillon were just bottled; the reds are still aging.

The Owens created the wines with Kieran Robinson, the winemaker from RFive in Downingtown. “Kieran studied in France and lived in Napa and Sonoma working for big name wineries,” Allison said. “We’re lucky to have him as our winemaker.”

The concept for Turks Head has been years in the making. For about 15 years, the Owens talked about turning their passion for wine into a business. But both Allison and Josh had successful day jobs. Over time, Allison, became less and less content with her career leading a national sales team selling professional services. “I wasn’t feeling fulfilled professionally. In my day to day life, there was something missing,” she said.

On New Year’s Eve 2022, Allison told Josh she that wanted to change her career. But she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do. “My husband said, ‘Let’s start this wine business.’ I thought he was crazy. We have three kids in middle school and high school. I said, ‘Are you serious? Now?’ He said yes.”

Allison put together a business plan and started working on Turks Head. After three months of doing her full time job and the wine business, she decided to leave her corporate job. “It’s been an absolutely wild ride of ups and downs,” Allison said. “But I’m so thrilled to be following our dream and bringing Turks Head to West Chester.”

For more about Turks Head Wines, visit this website.

Love this story? Check out Il Fiore Bryn Mawr’s new menu and decor and Grace Winery’s new tasting barn in Glen Mills.

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