“We decided to build a wine cellar for probably the same reason a lot of people think about building one: We started enjoying wine and spending weekends in Napa and Oregon. We’d visit wineries and buy some wine. Then we started joining mailing lists, and all of a sudden we realized we had more wine than we knew—and nowhere to put it. We’re not actually collectors, but we enjoy entertaining and we wanted the convenience of having our wine at home. “When we had our first meeting with Dave and explained what we wanted, we were afraid our job would be too small for someone to take on. Built into the side of a hill, our house has massive support beams anchoring it, so we also weren’t sure if our idea could even work. Rather than just saying yes or no, Dave considered the job from different points of view, thought about it creatively, and came up with a brilliant solution of where to situate our cellar. Using an existing door, he excavated and finished our crawlspace into a finished cellar.”
Yvonne Nevens, Owner
“It was Dave’s overall knowledge that impressed me. He’s an exceptionally agile problem solver, and doesn’t side step problems or make excuses. Our cave is in the side of a volcanic knoll, so the ground material changed very quickly. The first 20 feet were ideal conditions and Bacchus made quick progress, but then we ran into very, very hard, difficult conditions and had to begin blasting instead of tunneling. In my experience, other cave developers would have stopped the progress and said, “Gee wiz, now we’re going to have to blast, it’s a whole different process, here’s our new cost structure.” Dave didn’t look at it as a problem to be bought, he looked at it as a problem to be solved. He came to me and said that as long as they could continue making the same time and motion that they had been with the drilling, then short of some of the materials needed for blasting, the cost wouldn’t change. That made it viable for me to keep going. The fact that he adjusted to the situation and didn’t create an untenable position for me is the part I appreciate most.”
Thomas Baldacci, Owner
“He gave me the impression that he was anxious to please us and do a good job. Everyone tries to give you that impression, but the bottom line is that Dave and his crew came out and did what they said they were going to do. Talk is cheap. People will tell you things they think you want to hear to get the job, but once they start working it’s a whole different story. I want to know what someone thinks the honest cost is going to be, taking into account that there are always unforeseen problems. I want to know when the job is going to start, and a realistic expectation for when it’s going to end. Dave does a good job at communicating realistic expectations. He’s also the kind of guy that if I’d call him and he wasn’t there, I’d get a phone call back within an hour.When the project was over, Dave followed up to make sure we were happy. He didn’t just take our money and run, he truly cares about doing a great job.”
Les Behrens, Owner