1. Buy Grapes, 2. Make Wine, 3. Profit!?
Two trends have combined to make it easier for individuals or small groups to make their own commercial wines:
I have met several people who are using Crushpad, a wine making facility in San Francisco, to make their own wine. Most are just hobbyists looking for a new way to play with wine more. But two have turned their hobby into a commercial venture. Crushpad provides the equipment, access to grapes and wine making expertise (for a fee). You decide what types of wine and how much you want to make. They help you with the technical aspects and help evaluate your wine along the way to produce the best juice.
Vie Winery is an example of a group of people who started as hobbyists at Crushpad but have moved onto commercial wine making. They are starting small - less than 100 cases - but have big plans.
I have known Craig and Mark at Longfellow Wines for a couple years now. They are big supporters of WineCommune's Annual A Taste for Life - a fundraiser for the American Diabetes Association. (thanks guys!). These two good friends had an ambitious plan to produce a high end Pinot Noir. Their first vintage was the 2001. They have just barreled the 2004 vintage and produce over 1000 cases of Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Cabernet each year. They have distrution at some of the top restaurants in San Francisco and routinely win awards for their wines. They are just waiting for a big guy (Parker, Spectator) to review them to break it big.
Another great story is M2 Vintners. These guys have been making "garage" wines for years. But don't think it is a small venture - even before they went commerical they were producing hundreds of cases annually just for family and friends. They are getting ready for their first commercial release and it promises to be a big style, blockbuster wine. I have tasted some of the earlier vintages at private tastings and am glad to see these wines reach a larger audience.
Is it possible to profit in a small winery without getting a review from a big publication? Each of the wineries I mentioned is betting they can. Small wineries such as these have proliferated in the past 5 years and many are in development. After the wine is in the bottle, it is just a sales and marketing game - knocking on as many doors as you can to get distribution.
I think that many of these small wineries will also benefit from being able to reach customers directly online. A fan may post a tasting note on a wine forum that will break a small winery many new customers. The amount of wine information being exchanged online means a winery may find itself the subject of "Internet Hype" and able to sell out a vintage without major distribution or a big review. The variety and proliferation of wine that results from that can only be good for the consumer and wine lovers.
- A glut of quality grapes from well known wine regions in California
- The development of facilities that help people make their own wine
I have met several people who are using Crushpad, a wine making facility in San Francisco, to make their own wine. Most are just hobbyists looking for a new way to play with wine more. But two have turned their hobby into a commercial venture. Crushpad provides the equipment, access to grapes and wine making expertise (for a fee). You decide what types of wine and how much you want to make. They help you with the technical aspects and help evaluate your wine along the way to produce the best juice.
Vie Winery is an example of a group of people who started as hobbyists at Crushpad but have moved onto commercial wine making. They are starting small - less than 100 cases - but have big plans.
I have known Craig and Mark at Longfellow Wines for a couple years now. They are big supporters of WineCommune's Annual A Taste for Life - a fundraiser for the American Diabetes Association. (thanks guys!). These two good friends had an ambitious plan to produce a high end Pinot Noir. Their first vintage was the 2001. They have just barreled the 2004 vintage and produce over 1000 cases of Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Cabernet each year. They have distrution at some of the top restaurants in San Francisco and routinely win awards for their wines. They are just waiting for a big guy (Parker, Spectator) to review them to break it big.
Another great story is M2 Vintners. These guys have been making "garage" wines for years. But don't think it is a small venture - even before they went commerical they were producing hundreds of cases annually just for family and friends. They are getting ready for their first commercial release and it promises to be a big style, blockbuster wine. I have tasted some of the earlier vintages at private tastings and am glad to see these wines reach a larger audience.
Is it possible to profit in a small winery without getting a review from a big publication? Each of the wineries I mentioned is betting they can. Small wineries such as these have proliferated in the past 5 years and many are in development. After the wine is in the bottle, it is just a sales and marketing game - knocking on as many doors as you can to get distribution.
I think that many of these small wineries will also benefit from being able to reach customers directly online. A fan may post a tasting note on a wine forum that will break a small winery many new customers. The amount of wine information being exchanged online means a winery may find itself the subject of "Internet Hype" and able to sell out a vintage without major distribution or a big review. The variety and proliferation of wine that results from that can only be good for the consumer and wine lovers.
posted by Michael Stajer at 2:35 PM
1 Comments:
Jean Edwards Cellars is a new Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon producer specializing in small-lot, single-vineyard production. We are using Crushpad as our custom crush facility and are part of the Crushpad Commerce family. Our first wine will be released in November. Check-out our website at www.jeanedwardscellars.com and join our mailing list.
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