So these days we are seeing a new type of winery emerging; these wineries don’t have their own vineyards, they don’t grow any grapes at all – they purchase grapes from growers or even purchase wines and do the bottling themselves.
These wineries can find themselves in the middle of a big city, even in a warehouse space, because they are really only concerned with hiring the right winemaker. A winemaker with a great palate can make extraordinary wines using a blending process.
There are several ways to accomplish the task of making a winery without producing any grapes. The first is to contract grapes from a vineyard. Many vineyards do this, and they are also a large number of grape growers that don’t have wineries of their own and strictly sell grapes.
Another way to get the wine you need for your new age winery is to buy wine that is already made. Wines can be purchased from international wineries and producers in large quantities quite easily – it is just a matter of choosing the proper grape varietal and wine style.
Once the grapes, juice or wine is secured it all comes down to creating a great flavour profile for the wine and some attractive packaging. A great tasting wine with a solid marketing pitch can generate a serious buzz in a short period of time, because everyone wants to find a gem.
So this week I chose to highlight two wines both from Full Press Vineyards. With a portfolio of showings at BC Liquor Stores, Full Press Vineyards is both a blend of international and Canadian wines. Talented blending and solid marketing has helped this wine leap off the shelves and see amazing growth in a short period of time. The wines are both pocket friendly and palate pleasing.
We are going to see a lot more wines like this in the future as this proves to be a low investment and low risk entry point into the wine market.
Wines of the week
Full Press Vineyards
Chardonnay
The nose has several layers, with warm fresh smells of lemon meringue, orange zest and field hay. A nice palate of flavours that show a good balance between sweetness and acidity. Showcasing nice pineapple and citrus. Easy to drink alone or to match with coastal seafood dishes. 90/100 (May 5, 2011)
Full Press Vineyards Merlot
A nice nose with a pleasant aroma of earthy green pepper, savoury herb and raspberry jam notes. The flavours are gentle and enjoyable – a subtle sweetness up front with blueberry and pomegranate fruit, with an oaky black pepper finish that shows off the mild tannins. 87/100 (May 12, 2011)
~By Andrea Pollock