New project makes wine lovers into virtual winemakers

TASTEMAKERS: A new US project allows wine lovers to become virtual winemakers.

A winery in Washington State is inviting wine lovers to help create a new Cabernet Sauvignon from start to finish in a crowdsourced, digital campaign. 

Over the next 18 months, consumers will be able to contribute their input on how and when grapes are tended, irrigated, harvested and blended for Columbia Crest’s newest wine. 

The winery has set aside an acre of reserve grapes for the project. At the end of the process, consumers will be able to buy the Crowdsourced Cabernet 2014 vintage in the US. 

The site will also provide contributors with weather analytics and time-lapse camera shots of the vineyards, while the head winemaker will be on hand to answer questions and guide the winemaking process. 

It’s not the first time a winery has attempted to engage consumers in the winemaking process. 

In 2012, Crushpad, a custom crush facility for winemakers in Sonoma, California, launched a Facebook contest that challenged wine lovers to pitch a new wine brand, starting with the name, grape variety, blend and region for the chance to create their own wine. 

Likewise, Virgin Wines has a crowdsourced winemaking project that allows oenophiles to vote on everything from the grape blend to the name and the label design. — ©AFP/Relaxnews 2014