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During the recent grape
glut, many growers felt forced to make bulk wine when they couldn’t get
the prices they sought for their grapes—or couldn’t sell their crops at
all. With the supply suddenly tightening, however, many have found that
making bulk wine was a good decision. Some growers report that they’re
making more from the bulk wine than they could have gotten for the
grapes alone. Some even see it as an alternative path for the
future—even if there are plenty of buyers for their grapes today.
Winegrower Michael Rowan looks at the situation that way. He owns
18-acre Wine Creek Vineyards in the Dry Creek Valley of California,
where he grows Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. He says
that for the past five or six years the market has been unpredictable,
particularly as to who would buy grapes and who would repeat their
purchases. “We faced being at the end of October with no customers. We
had to look at the alternatives.”
As a result, he made wine six of the past seven years. “It’s turned out
to be very workable for me,” he says.
Rowan says that it’s important to make good wine. He originally
fermented the wine himself, but more recently he has used Mike Draxton
in nearby Windsor, Calif. “I’m very comfortable with him. We take the
same approach, and I have little to add once we agree on how to
proceed.”
Rowan likes the fact that Draxton is set up to offer wine to many
buyers. “The wine won’t sell itself, and he has contacts.”
He says the last lot he sold (2010) took 18 months, but it was his best
lot. “I netted 15% above the Sonoma County average after crush fees.”
Rowan adds that he’s already sold his 2011 wine at a better-than-average
price. As a result, he’s keeping his options open. “I don’t ever intend
to commit all my grapes to one form of sale or another. I’m looking for
long-term contracts—both for my grapes and my wine. I think this is a
viable option; it could be very attractive.”
Read more at: http://www.winesandvines.com/template.cfm?section=features&content=101238&ftitle=Desperation%20or%20Diversification%3F
Copyright © Wines & Vines
Read more at: http://www.winesandvines.com/template.cfm?section=features&content=101238&ftitle=Desperation%20or%20Diversification%3F
Copyright © Wines & Vines
During the recent grape
glut, many growers felt forced to make bulk wine when they couldn’t get
the prices they sought for their grapes—or couldn’t sell their crops at
all. With the supply suddenly tightening, however, many have found that
making bulk wine was a good decision. Some growers report that they’re
making more from the bulk wine than they could have gotten for the
grapes alone. Some even see it as an alternative path for the
future—even if there are plenty of buyers for their grapes today.
Winegrower Michael Rowan looks at the situation that way. He owns
18-acre Wine Creek Vineyards in the Dry Creek Valley of California,
where he grows Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. He says
that for the past five or six years the market has been unpredictable,
particularly as to who would buy grapes and who would repeat their
purchases. “We faced being at the end of October with no customers. We
had to look at the alternatives.”
As a result, he made wine six of the past seven years. “It’s turned out
to be very workable for me,” he says.
Rowan says that it’s important to make good wine. He originally
fermented the wine himself, but more recently he has used Mike Draxton
in nearby Windsor, Calif. “I’m very comfortable with him. We take the
same approach, and I have little to add once we agree on how to
proceed.”
Rowan likes the fact that Draxton is set up to offer wine to many
buyers. “The wine won’t sell itself, and he has contacts.”
He says the last lot he sold (2010) took 18 months, but it was his best
lot. “I netted 15% above the Sonoma County average after crush fees.”
Rowan adds that he’s already sold his 2011 wine at a better-than-average
price. As a result, he’s keeping his options open. “I don’t ever intend
to commit all my grapes to one form of sale or another. I’m looking for
long-term contracts—both for my grapes and my wine. I think this is a
viable option; it could be very attractive.”
Read more at: http://www.winesandvines.com/template.cfm?section=features&content=101238&ftitle=Desperation%20or%20Diversification%3F
Copyright © Wines & Vines
Read more at: http://www.winesandvines.com/template.cfm?section=features&content=101238&ftitle=Desperation%20or%20Diversification%3F
Copyright © Wines & Vines
During the recent grape
glut, many growers felt forced to make bulk wine when they couldn’t get
the prices they sought for their grapes—or couldn’t sell their crops at
all. With the supply suddenly tightening, however, many have found that
making bulk wine was a good decision. Some growers report that they’re
making more from the bulk wine than they could have gotten for the
grapes alone. Some even see it as an alternative path for the
future—even if there are plenty of buyers for their grapes today.
Winegrower Michael Rowan looks at the situation that way. He owns
18-acre Wine Creek Vineyards in the Dry Creek Valley of California,
where he grows Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. He says
that for the past five or six years the market has been unpredictable,
particularly as to who would buy grapes and who would repeat their
purchases. “We faced being at the end of October with no customers. We
had to look at the alternatives.”
As a result, he made wine six of the past seven years. “It’s turned out
to be very workable for me,” he says.
Rowan says that it’s important to make good wine. He originally
fermented the wine himself, but more recently he has used Mike Draxton
in nearby Windsor, Calif. “I’m very comfortable with him. We take the
same approach, and I have little to add once we agree on how to
proceed.”
Rowan likes the fact that Draxton is set up to offer wine to many
buyers. “The wine won’t sell itself, and he has contacts.”
He says the last lot he sold (2010) took 18 months, but it was his best
lot. “I netted 15% above the Sonoma County average after crush fees.”
Rowan adds that he’s already sold his 2011 wine at a better-than-average
price. As a result, he’s keeping his options open. “I don’t ever intend
to commit all my grapes to one form of sale or another. I’m looking for
long-term contracts—both for my grapes and my wine. I think this is a
viable option; it could be very attractive.”
He says that he thinks buying well-made wine from good sources would
appeal to many wineries, too. “They don’t have to have grower managers
and other costs of sourcing the grapes, and they don’t have to pay until
closer to the time they can sell the wine.”
According to Rowan, most wineries get no benefit from identifying their
vineyard sources.
Beckstoffer makes bulk wine
David Beckstoffer is a grapegrower who also has made wine. The president
of Beckstoffer Vineyards says that his family’s company, which has
roughly 1,000 acres in each of Napa, Lake and Mendocino counties, has
made bulk wine for four or five years.
Read more at: http://www.winesandvines.com/template.cfm?section=features&content=101238&ftitle=Desperation%20or%20Diversification%3F
Copyright © Wines & Vines
Read more at: http://www.winesandvines.com/template.cfm?section=features&content=101238&ftitle=Desperation%20or%20Diversification%3F
Copyright © Wines & Vines