Most wine enthusiasts either secretly or openly harbor a fantasy of producing that perfect 100 – point wine that pairs beautifully with their favorite foods or can stand on its own for casual sipping with friends. It might be a red or a white, made from your favorite varietal, and it can make your taste buds explode just thinking about it. But the realities always seem to disrupt the dream: You don’t have the equipment, time, expertise, or knowledge about fermentation, to name just a few of the potential obstacles. But wait; there are now options for a clear and easy path to making your own premium wine. Award – winning experts with state of the art facilities want to help you realize your winemaking goals.
Although every winery has professionals and equipment, it seems impossible to find one opening its doors for individuals who want to hand craft their own small – batch premium wines. Do not be discouraged however, for there is an outfit in Wine Country called The Wine Foundry offering virtually unlimited options in the quest to create your own perfect wine, complete with your own custom – designed label. Their winemakers are at your beck – and – call to make sure the finished wine matches your vision. Further, what if you want to get that wine added to the wine lists of fine restaurants in your area? They can help. Maybe your vision is to give a case of you custom wine to friends as a gift? No problem, they will help you arrange it.
The Wine Foundry, located in the heart of Napa Valley, will help you craft your own custom wine from grape to bottle. After a meeting with Sharath Chandra – Director of Marketing and a tour of the winery, one cannot but have a burning desire to go for it and make some wine. In a facility of 24,000 sq. ft. every imaginable piece of equipment and winemaking expertise is available to anyone wanting to make wine; The Wine Foundry produced 13,000 cases for distribution in 2014. From one facility, a client can go from a private labeled wine for private consumption to a full – blown commercial winemaking effort. The wine aficionado can opt to take advantage of high – end facilities and winemaking talent. The Wine Foundry’s clients come from all over the country, and it also has international clients in China, Japan & Finland.
Most oenophiles recognize that good wine starts in the vine1yard, and each varietal comes from a terroir that is best for that fruit. “We work with 30 – 40 of California’s most prestigious vineyards to source the best fruit for our clients, and in some cases our clients source their own fruit for their wine,” says Steve Ryan, General Manager. The Wine Foundry’s menu of vineyard choices include big names in the wine industry, such as Stagecoach Vineyards, whose fruit produces consistent 94 and 96 point wines year after year.
Over the past 2.5 years, The Wine Foundry has acquired new facilities, the latest winemaking equipment, state of the art lab equipment, and very talented people to help its clients attain their wine dreams no matter the level of client experience or how lofty their ambitions in the wine business. “We have domestic and international expertise, design staff, marketing talent to consult with the client; the same skills that are needed in a large wine operation,” commented Ryan. Winemaking is available to anyone with a vision to start the process. No prior experience is necessary.
Even if using a turnkey operation like The Wine Foundry for your wine making, anyone who wants to make their own wine should begin with clearly articulated goals to ensure the direction is clear. For example:
- Is it to be a commercial effort to market and sell your wine creation or for private consumption and gifts?
- Would the effort be part of a corporate branding effort, for example, a real estate company or brokerage firm?
- How many cases of wine are required?
- Is there a need for a white and red wine?
- What are the profiles desired in the new wine creation?
- How much involvement would you like to have in the winemaking process?
- What is the budget?
- Is there a date by which the wine is needed, for example a special occasion or event?
Fortunately, there is an option for virtually every purpose, budget and timeframe.
Option One – the Custom Label Option. If you want to just dip your toe into the water, find a custom winery that will allow you to taste existing wines and if you find one you like, ask for a Custom Label Option. Now you have your own name or message on a nice bottle of wine. This approach is a great program for birthday gifts, weddings, Valentine’s Day and corporate events. You can start with just one bottle plus label printing. The Wine Foundry has a program that lets you upload an image or customize a template on its website, and you have a customized bottle of premium wine within a matter of days.
Option Two – the Custom barrel of wine. If you want to get involved and influence your wine throughout the process from grape to bottle, find a custom winery that offers this program. The Wine Foundry specializes in small batch custom wine making for private clients. The commitment is one barrel and that will cost from $5,000 to $12,000 for 25 cases of wine, and the client has the luxury of being involved in the total experience; from crush, to blending, then bottling. “A client is welcome to come by the winery and talk to the winemaking team and see how the wine is developing,” said Patrick Saboe, head winemaker at The Wine Foundry. The Wine Foundry provides tastings throughout the process, and it will deliver samples to clients who cannot make it to Napa. A client tasting and blending sessions via Skype is not unusual. For clients in a hurry for their finished wine, they can “adopt” a barrel already in process, and then participate in blending to achieve their goals for the finished wine. Clients work with the in – house design team to design the perfect label and select from the myriad packaging options, down to a personalized stamp on the cork. Silver Kiddush Cups
