Consumers Make Decisions With Crushpad Winery
January 10, 2012 The age-old tradition of wine making has gotten a little more hands-on, thanks to Crushpad winery, located in Sonoma, CA. Putting the phrase, “the customer is always right,” to the extreme, Crushpad gives consumers the reins, allowing them to make all of the decisions that go into making a brand of wine all their own. From how far back to trim the vines, to when to harvest, the growers relinquish their control. A marketing approach totally innovative to the viticulture world, Crushpad has been given rave reviews, and their advice and business model is something to be considered for growers across the board.
The idea, unique as it is, came about due to the desire to “liberate wine making,” says Peter Ekman, president and CEO of Crushpad Inc. Referring to the financial burden that winemaking has traditionally carried, Ekman says, “our business model allows anyone to ‘rent’ the winemakers and create their own wine. Liberation, to me, means access and ability. We wanted to give anyone the opportunity to learn about and make wine in an approachable way and atmosphere,” he explains, “and clients have arrived in droves.
“Crushpad clients get involved as much as they want either online using www.crushnet.com, through social media, or via a winemaking site,” Ekman says. “We have lab specialists, packaging designers, and business developers on staff for the sole purpose of helping and assisting our clients.”
One of these happy and informed clients is Debbie Egan of Broadview Heights, OH, who, as part of a group, rented several rows of vines through Crushpad. Describing the hands-on methods, she says, “All aspects of the process were interesting. They kept close contact and sent videos and long, detailed messages to keep us updated and involved. They even called to see if we wanted the grapes picked before or after less-than-ideal weather hit!”
The benefit to the consumer is clear: “swagger and bragging rights,” Ekman says simply. “We all fantasize about making our own wine. Our clients are extremely proud of pouring their own wine, with their own label, and having a long list of personal winemaking stories to go with it. This is why our clients come back year after year.”
In addition, the process enlightens wine enthusiasts as to what goes into a bottle of their favorite product. “Winemakers’ skills are so much more than I had originally thought. There is much more that goes into every aspect of the wine than I could have imagined before doing this,” Egan says. “From how to evade insects to how to get the right number of Brix, it gave me a much more in-depth understanding of the whole process.”
What You Need To Know
With such happy consumers, one must wonder what this means to growers. “Crushpad,” Ekman explains, “takes on small growers (producers of 1 to 10 tons of grapes), crushes and produces their wines, and helps them get their brands sold. This is a unique service that grape growers love.”
He does warn, however, that “it took many years to navigate through the legal jungle to get our business model and services approved.” Referencing the challenge of obtaining the licenses needed to properly operate and the ability to allow clients to claim their own wine/winery name, Ekman is very thankful that Crushpad had investors that believed in the mission, and were patient enough to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
As far as difficulty to growers interested in working with Crushpad, however, Ekman is happy to say there is little to none. “Normal business insurances apply, but from a legal and licensing standpoint, Crushpad provides these services as part of a package.”
The streamlined process has attracted many, and the experience has given the wine industry a facelift. Egan enthusiastically states that what attracted her to the method was the simple draw of having a wine with a label, cork, and taste all her own. “It’s something I did not know was available,” she says.
Ekman elaborates on the unique customer-grower connection by saying, “consider this harvest, where we had as many as 50 clients in the winery at one point sorting, crushing, doing punch downs, and chatting with the winemakers while enjoying the California sun. It was a blast. By actually making their own wine hands-on, the client is the winemaker. The feeling of making your own wine and sharing it with family and friends is invaluable.”
Such new and innovative approaches to growing, processing, and client relations, could be just what the agriculture industry needs. Or maybe Crushpad’s success is as simple, as Egan puts it, “as that long-awaited first taste.”
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