Become a True Grapemaster and Make Your Own Wine

Edited by Jennifer L. Price

Have you ever wanted to make your own wine?  Follow the entire winemaking process from grape to bottle? Here is your chance: Passionate wine lovers across the country have responded with excitement to Sonoma Grapemasters' new micro-crush program in the Russian River, and no wonder: for the first time, Sonoma Grapemasters ' program enables individuals to make their own hands-on premium wine in the heart of one of the United States' most famous winegrowing regions.

Now there's an added incentive— team sharing. This harvest season, instead of producing 24 cases of wine —the Sonoma Grapemasters ' minimum, based on the capacity of one oak barrel —there's another option. Sonoma Grapemasters will pair up participants who are interested in making the same variety. That way, the cases and costs are shared, and the minimum subscription is lowered to 12 cases.

Sonoma Grapemasters sources grapes from premium growers, assigns an  experienced professional winemaker to guide the team through all the important  decisions, and takes the process from grape to bottle for one all-inclusive price.  Teams have the option of actively participating at various stages, from sorting grapes at harvest crush all the way through bottling, making every important decision in consultation with the winemaker.   Plus every bottle has the client's own custom-designed label on it.  And, if participants can' t get away long enough to visit wine country, staff  members and cellar technicians keep them informed about the progress of the wine every step of the way.

"The core idea behind Sonoma Grapemasters is to give wine lovers a chance to make their own wine, their own way at the highest professional level, in one of the world's great viticulture regions," says Program Director Stephen Yafa. "We're introducing team-sharing to make the program even more accessible.  It's a unique opportunity, but with harvest coming quickly this year, it's also one that won't last long, since we need time to order grapes and pair up our clients well in advance of crush."

Custom-crush winery owner John Tracy and writer-turned-Pinot Noir producer Stephen Yafa started their micro-crush, Sonoma Grapemasters, at Tracy's Owl Ridge Wine Services in the heart of Sonoma's Russian River Valley earlier this year, responding to a rapidly growing demand among many wine lovers for more direct participation in the wine-making process.

To participate in this Fall ' s SONOMA GRAPEMASTERS program, or for more information, call Program Director Stephen Yafa at 415-389-1183, visit  www.sonomagrapemasters.com , or email syafa@sonomagrapemasters.com.