Crushpad

Wine Making @ Crushpad (http://www.crushpadwine.com)

Mashup 2011- Napa Style!

Crushpad’s annual Mashup was Saturday, March 12th at the Silverado Resort in Napa. Despite gloomy forecasts, we woke to beautiful sunshine as clients descended upon the Napa Valley from locales near and far; including the Bay Area, New Jersey & Hong Kong.


Mashup takes place this time every year so clients can taste their barrel samples with Michael, Cindy, Kian, Adam and one another. It’s an opportunity to get a sneak peek into the wine’s development and discuss characteristics they would like to accentuate in their finished product. It’s a lot of fun, and very interesting, to taste the progress of the wine after just a few short months in barrel (and about 15 months for the ‘09 Bordeaux varietals). 


A new addition to this year’s Mashup was the magic green screen! Resident super-cinematic-guru, Daphne Feng conceptualized and executed a green screen film studio... this was seriously cool. We’re coming for you Pixar! She compiled a mash-up (pun entirely intended) for your enjoyment below. Daphne was booked all afternoon with groups creating their own commercials for their individual labels. She has been busy editing and will send these to the “talent” in the coming weeks. 


We were so excited to have so many of our extended Crushpad family in the valley at the same time and for that, we extend a big thanks to those that were able to make it.

 

Not Your Daddy's Caddy- Crushpad on CNN Money

The Business Unusual series on CNN Money highlighted Crushpad with a visit and interview with Michael Brill.

Series host, Chris Hardwick, is sponsored by Cadillac to travel across America with the ambition of uncovering stories and secrets of several visionary and successful entrepreneurs.

The two of them spent time talking wine in our cave, walking the vineyard and then head to downtown Napa in Chris’ smooth Caddy! 

Watch the short interview and read the article here http://cadillac.money.cnn.com/cnn/cbu/episode.jsp?pv=true&ep=2

Crushpad Attends World of Pinot

Wopnlogo

March 4-6 our resident Pinot winemaker, Adam Smith, packed his car with bottles, t-shirts and sunglasses and headed to Shell Beach, CA to join 180 Pinot producers from around the globe. The 11th Annual World of Pinot Noir at the Cliffs Resort is one of Adam’s favorite events because it is much more than a tasting event. Tasting seminars and lectures, all of which are open to the public, cover all aspects of Pinot from changes in plantings/distribution of Pinot Noir, AVA’s vs. appellations, alcohol and balance along tours & tastings hosted by local wineries in the Central Coast region.

Adam attended the Oregon vs. California tasting which was not attempting to designate a winner, but to celebrate the vast differences between the two states in producing the same varietal, “It really is almost two separate varietals, from California and Oregon” says Adam, “the expression of tannins is totally different... it was a lot of fun”.

Treating himself to some super beautiful wines, Adam checked in on the Hirsch Vineyard Block by Block tasting. Hirsch Vineyard, Littorai and Failla each poured wines they produced from Hirsch Vineyard fruit (Fort Ross, Sonoma Coast). It was a rare opportunity to taste barrel samples, recent releases and library wines from the highly acclaimed vineyard.

Of course the event would not have been complete without the Grand Tasting. The Grand Tasting took place in the large tents (see photo) overlooking the coast. With that incredible backdrop, Adam poured a 2009 Calicaro, Split Rock Vineyard for Dave Ball. Under the table, Adam had a 2010 barrel sample he was sharing from Steve Doty’s vineyard in Santa Barbara. Steve’s vineyard is located steps from the beach, has a lot of sand in the soil, and was drawing remarks from the tasters reflecting that the wine really resembled an Oregon Pinot. It’s one of Adam’s favorites currently in barrel and he’s trying to talk Steve into planting a lot more than the 1.5 acres he has now! Because Crushpad is a unique concept, sometimes it takes a little more explanation for people to understand the experience and with Steve’s barrel sample of his self-grown fruit, people could actually taste what CP is all about! How cool is that?!?!

For more info on the World of Pinot Noir, or to get it on your calendar for 2012 check out:www.wopn.com

Crushpad_visits_world_of_pinot
Courtesy of Steve Ryan

 

CRUSHPAD ATTENDS WORLD OF PINOT NOIR - SHELL BEACH, CA

Wopnlogo
March 4-6 our resident Pinot winemaker, Adam Smith, packed his car with bottles, t-shirts and sunglasses and headed to Shell Beach, CA to join 180 Pinot producers from around the globe. The 11th Annual World of Pinot Noir at the Cliffs Resort in Shell Beach is one of Adam’s favorite events because it is much more than a tasting event. There are tasting seminars and lectures, all of which are open to the public, that cover all aspects of Pinot from changes in plantings/distribution of Pinot Noir, AVA’s vs. appellations, alcohol and balance and tours and tastings hosted by local wineries in the central coast region.

Adam attended the Oregon vs. California tasting which was not attempting to designate a winner, but to celebrate the vast differences between the two states in producing the same varietal, “It really is almost two separate varietals, from California and Oregon” says Adam, “the expression of tannins is totally different... it was a lot of fun”.

Treating himself to some super beautiful wines, Adam checked in on the Hirsch Vineyard Block by Block tasting. Hirsch Vineyard, Littorai and Failla each poured wines they produced from Hirsch Vineyard fruit (Fort Ross, Sonoma Coast). It was a rare opportunity to taste barrel samples, recent releases and library wines from the highly acclaimed vineyard.

Of course the event would not have been complete without the Grand Tastings on Friday and Saturday evenings. The Grand tasting took place in the large tents (see photo) overlooking the coast. With that incredible backdrop, Adam poured a 2009 Calicaro, Split Rock Vineyard for Dave Ball. Under the table, Adam had a 2010 barrel sample he was sharing from Steve Doty’s vineyard in Santa Barbara... Steve’s vineyard is located steps from the beach, has a lot of sand in the soil, and was drawing remarks from the tasters reflecting that the wine really resembled an Oregon Pinot. It’s one of Adam’s current favorites in the barrel now and he’s trying to talk Steve into planting a lot more than the 1.5 acres he has now! Because Crushpad is a unique concept, sometimes it takes a little more explanation for people to understand what the experience is and with Steve’s barrel sample of his self-grown fruit people could actually taste what CP is all about! How cool is that?!?!

Crushpad_visits_world_of_pinot_2011

For more info on the World of Pinot Noir, or to get it on your calendar for 2012 check out: www.wopn.com