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Within a few hours of picking the fruit off the vine (which will be done in the darkness of evening when the temperatures are low), the fruit is transfered to cold storage facilities in each of the regions. After 24 hours or so in cold storage, the temperature of the grapes will get to 33 degrees and then will be transfered into refrigerated trucks and transported to the East Coast. Three days later, we will we receive the fruit in 18-ton loads. We plan to experiment with using a technique called Cold Soaking for some of the fruit upon arrival in our facility. This process brings out and maximizes the color and flavor the fruit and is used a lot for Pinot Noir. But you're right, once the grapes come off the vine, they can't sit in the sun, unless your making raisons...
We will be able to produce both Kosher and Non-Kosher wine. Our kosher wine will not be "Mevushal" but Kosher by the Orthodox Standards. We will both have a Rabbi or Meshkiach who will be observing the winemaking from the point the grapes enter the facility until they go into the bottle. During that process the equipment will be separated and the barrels and bottles will be kept in a separated and secured area of the Winery. It will only be touched by the Meshkiach. We will observe the highest standards similar to most of the other Kosher wines produced around the world. We also will have two very well know Kosher WIne Makers who have well-regarded wines as consultants and observers to our Kosher process. We expect about 10 to 20% of our wine will be produced as Kosher wine. We are excited to be able to offer this.
One 59 gallon barrel produces 276 regular sized bottles (750ml). Of course, that could be 138 magnums, or what ever configurations one desires.
You will have your choice!
1. You can use the default City Winery label with the information on the label about your particular wine.
2. Our in-house designer will be creating a number of "stock" labels available for a nominal fee.
3. For an hourly fee, you can consult with our in-house designer for a unique custom design.
4. You are welcome to submit your own design (templates will be available) that we will print for you.
5. Or you can bring your own finished, printed labels.
Yes, absolutely. Although it is amazing how fast 250 bottles can be given away. But we certainly encourage a few people or a small group up to 5 people to go in on a barrel. All of you can participate in the decision making (with one person as the point of contact), all can come to the crush to sort the grapes and see them go into the fermenting tanks. All can come and help in the racking, when we pump the wine into or out of a barrel. And all can come to the bottling. Of course, all can come and do a barrel tasting whenever you arrange it with our concierge. The only thing all 5 can't do is all attend at the same time the 4 annual wine-maker's dinners and market. This will need to be split up amongst you all, as we will be limited to the 200 barrel owners at these evenings. But besides that, the fun really be sharing the experience with friends or co-workers.
Depending on the grape varietal, the time will vary. A white wine, in general, will require much less time to age in-barrel than a red. Some reds might age 3 to 5 months in-barrel and others can take 24 months. 12 months from crush to bottling is the average for red wine. As a barrel owner, you are encouraged to come and do barrel samplings as often as you like!
Yes it is possible to do blends without buying additional barrels. Your only requirement is to buy your "primary grape varietal" for your one barrel. Then, as you decide what kind of blend you would like with David Lecomte, our winemaker, you will use our house wine to blend, by trading your juice for our juice. For example, if you want to make a Bordeaux Blend, and Cabernet was your primary grape, you will buy your 800 pounds of grapes which will fill a 59 gallon barrel. Perhaps you want to add 10% Merlot and 5% Malbec. You would trade 15% of your cabernet for our 15% of house wines. The blending decisions are all yours, in consultation with David, and you end up with your barrel, as you like. But you only pay for your one barrel and primary grape purchase.
There will be many events and lectures. In fact, we are planning an ongoing series of classes, lectures, tastings and social events to highlight your City Winery barrel ownership. Bring friends, clients, or just hang out with fellow wine makers, we expect many people interested in the winemaking process will be spending time in our facility.
As involved as you want to be. The more you are involved, the better, as far as we are concerned! We think many people will be there from the start getting their hands stained purple with the crush, learning the process of fermenting, the punch down, pumping the juice into the tanks, then racking into the barrel. A barrel owner can come once a week and taste it as it ages in the barrel. Ask our winemaker questions, drink other people's wines, trade your bottles, hang out at the bar. At the same time, we expect that some people might simply give us their credit card and look for 276 bottles to be delivered to their office at the end of the year...
And don't forget, if you make 276 bottles of Cabernet for example, you will be able to trade them with other winemakers in the program, perhaps trading for 10 bottles of Chardonay, 10 Pinot Noir, etc. We plan a number of social opportunities and online communities to be able to trade and sample your fellow winemaker's bottles. It will be a lot of fun!
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