PRESS RELEASE
"MyCrushpad" Brings Winemaking to the Internet
Virtual winemakers can now make their own California cult wines from anywhere in the worldSAN FRANCISCO, CA – June 28, 2005 – Becoming a winemaker just got easier. Crushpad, the urban San Francisco winery that makes those "I want to be a winemaker" dreams come true, today unveiled MyCrushpad – an Internet portal that enables anyone, from anywhere in the world, to be winemakers involved in the production of their own world-class wine simply by using a web browser.
Now Crushpad's 150 winemaking customers located in 20 states and three countries can log on and be as involved as they would like in the winemaking process participating in winemaking decisions from vineyard observation and fruit processing to fermentation, aging and bottling.
"MyCrushpad opens up a whole new dimension where I am learning about making wine and I am in control of the final product," said Mark Jones, a Chicago-based marketing executive, who makes Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon at Crushpad. "I know exactly what's going on and I can communicate in real-time to make immediate decisions."
"When we started Crushpad last year, we wanted to support anyone – regardless of where they lived – with the dream of creating their own wine" said Michael Brill, Crushpad founder and CEO. "MyCrushpad is the result of over a year's work towards this goal. We're thrilled that Crushpad is in a position to help so many people act on their passion for wine."
Consumer passion for wine is at all-time high: a recent Business Week poll found that Winemaker was the #2 dream job among U.S. executives, consumers regularly trip over each other in a scramble to track down the next cult wine; and Winemaker Magazine estimates that there are over 750,000 people who make wine at home. With the capability to bring education, community and the winemaking experience to the homes of millions of people with a passion for wine, MyCrushpad marks an important chapter in the evolution of wine culture.
Crushpad sources grapes from highly-sought California vineyards and provides complete winemaking services to non-traditional winemakers. Winemaking customers choose their level of participation and have complete control over key winemaking decisions, relying on Crushpad's winemaking expertise where needed. Before MyCrushpad, only local customers could fully access the process. Now, MyCrushpad eliminates the physical barriers, providing complete visibility and control to everyone making wine at Crushpad.
MyCrushpad – Key Features
- Wine Manager – Intuitive web application for complete monitoring and management of the winemaking process, including support for wine planning, vineyard monitoring, fermentation, pressing, aging, package design and bottling.
- Discussion Room – Private discussion area where customers and Crushpad winemakers can interact to exchange information and manage variations from the original winemaking plan.
- CrushpadCam – Webcams provide real-time video of the Crushpad facility enabling customers to monitor the processing of their fruit and general winery operations.
About Crushpad
Crushpad is a San Francisco winery that enables anyone with a serious interest in wine to participate in the magic of winemaking. The winery supports wine lovers, small scale professional winemakers, wine retailers and restaurateurs who create as little as one barrel (25 cases) of ultra-premium, branded wine but can scale to hundreds of cases. Crushpad provides the equipment, winemaking talent and premium fruit from California's most prestigious vineyards like Napa's ToKalon. The company was founded in 2004 by wine industry veterans and technology industry refugees determined to liberate winemaking from its traditional stereotypes of impossible wealth, expansive chateaus and golden retrievers. For more information call 415-864-4232 or visit www.crushpadwine.com.