When Tam and Pam Cloer bought a small farm in 1993 they hoped to one day open their own winery. Now, 17 years later, that day has finally arrived.

Cloer Family Vineyards opened for business last month on Castleberry Road just outside of the Apex town limits.

For more than a decade-and-a-half, the Cloers have planned and toiled in preparation for their winery while raising a family and running their other business, Cloer Nursery in Cary.

It’s been a lot of hard work but it’s also been a labor of love.

“I enjoy the wine part but I kind of like the agricultural part the most,” said Tam, who holds a degree in horticulture from NC State University. “I really enjoy the hands-on part. When you farm grapes (making wine) is what you’ve got to do with them.”

The Cloers began making wine as a hobby 15 years ago. Tam also began experimenting with different grapes to find out which kind would grow the best.

About five years ago, researchers from NC State advised him what to grow based on data he collected over the previous decade.

“We ended up taking a lot of the vineyards out,” said Tam. “We sort of started over with the things that had worked. It’s been a lot of work.

“But, you know, when you work this hard on something for this long you know there is a higher being that brings you to this point. I just place my faith there and everything is good.”

The Cloers are currently producing two wines – Noble and Carlos – from native muscadine grapes grown on the property. Two other wines – the French hybrid Chambourcin and a Veranda – are made from grapes that are grown in western North Carolina.

The winery currently has the capacity to produce 700 cases with a goal of nearly tripling that amount. “(The vineyard) has room to double in size,” said Tam. “Eventually, we would like to have about 2,000 cases, which is small even by North Carolina standards.”

While Tam handles the winemaking, Pam takes care of the marketing. She also meets with guests and runs the weekly wine-tasting sessions.

“Pam was an events planner at NC State,” said Tam. “She is great with people and has a lot of good ideas about marketing.”

Even the Cloers two young daughters help with harvesting grapes and labeling bottles.

Tam, an Apex native, said the goal is to run a family-friendly business with no pretense.

“This is how we want it,” said Tam. “It’s just an easy going, family place. You can come here and relax and enjoy some wines. We even have a couple of ponds if you want to fish.”

Cloer Family Vineyards is open Fridays from noon to 5 p.m. and Saturdays 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The winery is also available to rent for group events.

For more information call 810-1443. A website is currently being developed.