After about six years of making and selling wine at a shop in downtown Beaufort, the owners of Lowcountry Winery closed shop this week.

Plywood boards went up over the windows midway through the week, and equipment was moved out Thursday. Owner Randall Burch had little to say about the closing. A friend helping with the move said they were taking the wine-making equipment to his winery for storage until a buyer is available.

Burch and his wife, April, opened the business at 705 Bay St. in spring 2006. Although they did not grow their own grapes, the couple bought fruit from Upstate farms to create about two dozen varieties, including merlot, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay and blends. They also made wines from seasonal fruits, such as raspberries and peaches.

They fermented the juice, bottled it and put labels depicting a plantation house at the end of a lane lined with live oaks on the wine.

Lowcountry Winery did not sell or give out glasses of wine, but did offer daily tastings so customers could sample the offerings.

In other business:

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