Aurora winemakers funneling profits to groups helping disabled

After making history at the Aurora City Council meeting, winemaker Bob Evanosky said he now intends to create a legacy.

Aldermen created a new liquor license category Tuesday that will allow Evanosky and his wife, Sonya, to produce and sell wine at the city's first craft winery, Aspen Lane Winery, near Route 34 and 75th Street.

Now that the Evanoskys can sell the wine they make, they can get down to the real reason they have been working to obtain federal, state and local licenses for their business: They want to give away the profits to organizations that help disabled children and adults.

The Evanoskys' sons, 14-year-old twins John and Christopher and 12-year-old Jack, all have the same genetic condition, Sonya Evanosky said. The three boys are severely disabled and confined to wheelchairs.

The family was in council chambers when aldermen approved the final piece of the Evanoskys' journey to help others. Free to sell their product, they intend to ramp up contributions to nonprofits including Young Hearts for Life, which helps prevent disability and death with cardiac screenings.

Other local charities the winemaking venture supports are Easter Seals, Marklund home and school of Geneva and Bloomingdale, MidAmerica Service Dogs Foundation, and Day One PACT's parent support program.

"Our motivation is what has happened to us as a family," Evanosky said. "The name will end with us, so we're going to create a legacy."

Evanosky added that the business will use just enough of the profits "to keep the business solvent."

"Winemaking used to be a hobby in our house," Evanosky, a 17-year Aurora resident and former airline pilot, said. "Then it got big." They now produce nine different wines.

During the city council's meeting July 5, Evanosky told aldermen that he and his wife "have been so blessed in our life with what has occurred. We have gone through some pretty interesting paths and our life has been a very beautiful challenge."

Going into Tuesday's meeting, the Evanoskys had a federal permit, federal label approval, a state winemaker license, state direct shipper's license and state self-distribution exemption approval.

"Now we can get a state license and open the doors," he said. They have been working on renovations at their winery location, 3682 Prairie Lake Court, for almost a year.

The process, Evanosky said, has been a "labor of love and we want it to flourish."