Frequently Asked Questions

White wines are generally bottled the spring or summer after harvest (although more oaked wines can age longer). Pinot Noir is usually good to go around August, after around 10 months in barrel. But more extracted versions can take longer to soften up tannins. Cabernet takes the longest and is typically bottled in summer after 20+ months in barrel. Syrah and Zinfandel are somewhere in between.

For some clients, 25 cases goes in a blink of the eye. But most of our clients form or join a group or two to get smaller amounts of wine but still share in the experience. You can create your own group yourself or go to crushnet.com and find like-minded wine enthusiasts

As much or as little as you want. We have clients who are physically involved in every step of the wine making process and those that just say 'make me the best barrel of cab you can and call me when it's ready.' But there are 4-6 really important and fun events that you can participate in, even if you're doing it all remotely over the Internet.

Harvest (when the fruit is picked) is in September and October, although you should get started with planning ahead of time - the earlier you start, the more choices you have for vineyards. If you miss harvest or want to accelerate things, you can always look into our Adopt a Barrel program.

Over 90% of our clients have never made wine before Crushpad so education is a key part of what we do. Our team is here to make sure that things don't go wonky and your wine is the best it can be, but your level of involvement is up to you. And through the use of the Crushpad 30, we have a formal structure for you to follow that addresses every element of winemaking.

We sure do. Remember that we're only an hour from Napa and Sonoma. We bring in the grapes at the same temperature they were picked at in the morning. Once they arrive, we can process the fruit immediately or wait for you to come in and begin your wine making on our state-of-the-art sorting line.