Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/80303
SEPTEMBER NEWS Naked Wines Builds U.S. Arm K Online retail and investment company teams up with winemakers enwood, Calif.—Rowan Gormley, the former Virgin executive who went on to launch the successful U.K. online wine retailer Naked Wines, is looking to build the U.S. branch of the business. Naked Wines pairs independent wine- makers with a pool of funding from "an- gels" who pay monthly fees to support their winemaking. Members of Naked Wines then get the wine produced through the company at a price far below retail. The company has teamed up with a handful of California winemakers who will be making wine at the former Black- stone Winery in Kenwood, Calif. One of those winemakers is Ken Deis, who has worked in the Napa Valley for nearly 40 years. Deis said he ran his own label for a while but grew tired of the an- cillary obligations in sales, distribution and compliance. By working with Naked Wines, Deis said he will have the chance to experi- Brands Inc. The two companies will share the tasting room, but Naked Wines will op- erate the production space. Robin Langton, former production wine- Winemakers tour the former Blackstone Winery in Kenwood, Calif., where several winemakers will be making wine this fall. ment with Zinfandel and Rhone varieties as well as making wine from Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. "I really love making wine, I've done it for 37 years," he said. Naked Wines leased the winery from the Wilson Artisan Wineries group, which purchased the building from Constellation British Columbia Studies Vineyard Skills Shortage Consultants recommend 'viticulture technician' designation in province P enticton, British Columbia—An aging workforce, increas- ing competition for new workers and a simmering dis- satisfaction with training of those workers is prompting British Columbia's wine industry to seek a new designation for viticulture talent. A labor market report drafted by Vancouver consulting firm Roslyn Kunin and Associates Inc. and presented at the B.C. Wine Grape Council meeting held July 17 in Penticton, B.C., suggests that 7% of employers are dissatisfied with vineyard workers, while 46% of workers feel their training is "inadequate" for the work they're doing. One of the strategies a committee of the B.C. Wine Grape Coun- winesandvines.com Learn more: Search keywords "B.C. vineyard." cil is exploring to address the issue is formalization of a "viticul- ture technician" designation for workers who perform a range of duties in the vineyard from pruning to equipment maintenance as well as record-keeping and supervision of farm hands. The report also recommends developing a formal training pro- gram, through either a diploma course or an apprenticeship pro- gram. A formal certification program would establish an entry point for the occupation, helping to define the career path for workers. —Peter Mitham • Professionally crafted • Perfomance guaranteed • Custom designs & features • Quick & competitive pricing • Repairs & modifications • Special application tanks • Stainless winery equipment • Tanks in stock for immediate shipping from 500 to 10,000 gallon capacity Quality Stainless Tanks 510 Caletti Avenue • Windsor, CA 95492 Phone: 707.837.2721 • Fax: 707.837.2733 Toll-Free: 877.598.0672 www.qualitystainless.com winetanks@aol.com WINES & VINES SEPTEMBER 2012 17 QualityStainless_Apr05 3/9/05 11:12 AM Page 1 maker at Patz & Hall Winery, is the director of winemaking and Jacqueline Bahue, for- mer assistant winemaker at Girard Winery, will oversee day-to-day winery operations. Langton said Naked Wines plans to crush 1,000 tons of fruit and oversee bulk wine production at four other California winer- ies. The company in- tends to sell 400,000 cases of wine in the U.S. in 2013. Naked Wines has 3,000 U.S. customers, of which 1,000 have pledged to become an- gels. In the U.K., Naked Wines sold 750,000 cases of wine last year, which included 5,000 cases in one day. The firm claims to have 100,000 customers who have invested more than $3 million in 50 winemakers. —Andrew Adams winesandvines.com Learn more: Search keywords "Naked Wine." Quality - Value - Experience Quality Stainless Tanks Fabricated Stainless Cooperage Custom