This is just a long shot idea that would take some serious work(sheep herding), planning, and cash, but I figure I would present it any way.

We should make a Head-Case wine.

I'm sure the serious wine-o's here know about www.crushpadwine.com but for those that don't, check out the website.

We could have a mini meet around the production of the wine and possibly another around the bottling. It also helps that we have a somewhat large group of members in that area.

Of course it would take a serious cash outlay for those involved for a wine of unknown quality but I still think it might be worth looking into.

Discuss.

Local (check)

Wine (check)

HC Fun (Check)

Interested.. yes.

would just need enough people to make the money work...

/\ /\ /\ /\ X2! We will need some real cash, knowledge, and sweat equity, but this is a great idea.

Color me interested.

I'm sure we could do better than your average pruno.

First steps are varietal followed by grape sourcing locations?

Then we need to sell shares and calculate share cost. Perhaps have partners commit up front to an allocation amount, one case minimum or so.

love it.

PM me if you get stuck sourcing grapes.

What AVAs do you have connections to? Central or northern?

I would ask my friend who sources Napa and Santa Cruz- Syrah and Cab, w/some PV and Grenache for blending.

He should be able to help me with source though. Can we take to PM, @Augsburger?

If you guys are looking to go higher end than the growers listed in catalog on the Crushpad website then I may be able to help.

My best friend's Dad owns a substantial vineyard (>100) acres in Calistoga (north part of napa valley) and grows all of the red varietals needed for doing a meritage-type wine (Cab, Merlot, Cab Franc, Petit Verdot, etc.) as well as a number of white varietals. Their vinyard sells 80% of their crop each year to other wine makers and bottles the remaining 20% under their own label. To give you an idea of the price/quality, their buyers include Caymus, Phelps, and Lewis Cellars.

Price might start to become prohibitive buying from them (>$60-bottle for the finished product) so it'd probably be best to head in another direction but I thought I'd throw that out there in case your other alternatives don't work out. On the other hand, if you want to make something of fairly high quality and the $60-$80 per bottle price point isn't totally prohibitive, then I might be able to help out.

Cee Tee and TMoney, you both seem to have excellent connections for juice. Having a meritage blend like an Opus would be awesome or having some of the grapes that were sourced by Caymus, Randy Lewis or Ashley Hepworth would be a dream come true. I am just not sure the interested parties here would want to pay those prices per ton.The concern I have with the Crushpad concept is the quality of grapes as we would not know what we actually end up with. Even Mt Veeder and Diamond mountain have their reject lots, wilted over ripe grapes that are other winemakers cast offs so throwing around a quality vineyard name as a source doesn't necessarily mean we are getting that vineyard's prime grapes. If there is real interest with the rest of the gang then perhaps some of this should migrate to pm.

Cee Tee and TMoney, you both seem to have excellent connections for juice. Having a meritage blend like an Opus would be awesome or having some of the grapes that were sourced by Caymus, Randy Lewis or Ashley Hepworth would be a dream come true. I am just not sure the interested parties here would want to pay those prices per ton.The concern I have with the Crushpad concept is the quality of grapes as we would not know what we actually end up with. Even Mt Veeder and Diamond mountain have their reject lots, wilted over ripe grapes that are other winemakers cast offs so throwing around a quality vineyard name as a source doesn't necessarily mean we are getting that vineyard's prime grapes. If there is real interest with the rest of the gang then perhaps some of this should migrate to pm.

I have some real interest, but I lack knowledge on the production side. I also know that drumming up enough interest and cash might make it difficult, but if possible might make something great.

Oops, confused this with NoNoNoNoNoNo's thread. Then noticed the absence of an H.

Tomorrow I'm hanging out with my wine-making friend. I'm going to ask him if we can have some petite verdot to add "just a touch" to your final assemblage in case you go cab sauv. A <tiny> bit makes a big difference to the weight.

A "Meritage" blend would also require cab franc and merlot, which I would have to ask around for.

Or if you guys go Syrah, you might want a little grenache in your blend.

Any chance any HC'er's will be up at Ridge on March 3rd for Montebello Assemblage?

Should I also try to get you guys a neutral barrel and a source for oaking the wine in your neutral barrel? The best chips I have seen are actually toasted oak balls.

<insert joke here>

Okay...I have a bag of oak balls for you guys to use since I doubt you are going to want to source a new oak barrel at $1200+.

But if you are going to want a new barrel, I might be able to help you find a cooperage.

I used oak spirals from The Barrel Mill for my homebrew. Very effective and quick. http://www.infusionspiral.com/

Edited February 25, 201214 yr by NightWoundsTime

I used oak spirals from The Barrel Mill for my homebrew. Very effective and quick. http://www.infusionspiral.com/

I also used those for a Bourbon Stout. I leaned two things. 1)Oak sinks 2)It needs to age a year if the oak was in it for a year

Those used oak chips are great for smoking ribs and pork butt too.

I guess we dodged the bullet on this one. Crushpad would have been a leading resource for us since we have few resources at our disposal.

http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/47157

ugh, what a nightmare

ooph

yeah no kidding. I guess someone just needs to buy a winery.