Prior to my latest trip to CA, I’d never been to Crushpad. Shame on me! In case you don’t know, Crushpad is a facility in San Francisco where you can make you own wine by the barrel. Generally, folks get together, choose their fruit, and go about making wine decisions. On my first night in town, Russ, Thea, and I headed to Crushpad to do the Napa Cabernet Sauvignon seminar. I’m glad I got the chance to check it out, since Thea and a group of fab females and I will be making some sparkling wine this year!! I hope I’ll be able to get out there again while we are making our wine so I can participate in the experience.
Our Cab seminar was quite cool. Tickets were $25 and you got to taste through 8 Cabs from barrel samples from different Napa Vineyards. We also tasted one finished 2007 Cab. The barrel samples were all 2008s. While we tasted, we got to hear Crushpad’s head winemaker talk about the different vineyards, their characteristics, and what kind of fruit comes from them.
2007 Coombsville: Strawberry, tannic, mint, little vegetal, some bottle shock (just bottled that day), anise, red currants, licorice, little oak, vanilla butter, black currants.
2008 Godspeed Vineyard Mt. Veeder: Black currant, oak, anise, pepper, peppers, herbs, vegetal, chocolate, tannic, black fruit.
2008 Ink Grade Vineyard Mt. Howell: Vanilla, chocolate, black cherry, cream, berries, tannic, blackberries, violets, black currants.
2008 Knight’s Bridge Vineyard Knight’s Valley: Perfumey, violets, roses, sweet red fruit, bananas, soft, cherry, red berries, a little tannic on the finish.
2008 ToKalon Vineyard Oakville: Blackberry, violets, perfume, roses, vanilla cream, pepper, chocolate, anise, tannic, black fruit.
2008 Game Farm Vineyard Oakville: Barnyard, earth, leather, saddle tack, forrest, espresso.
2008 Neal 3 Vineyard St. Helena: Pomegrante, sour cherry, gum, cranberry, red fruit, fruity, big red fruit, juicy red fruit.
2008 Rafael Vineayrd Oak Knoll: Sweat, blackberries, black fruit, vanilla, milk chocolate, tannic, anise, dark fruit, black currants.
2008 Coombsville Vineyard Tulocay: Black fruit, raisins, herbs, blackberries, nice structure, vanilla bean, black, dark, nice tannins.
Overall, I had a lot of fun comparing the different vineyards. I’ve been to tastings where you compare wines from the same vineyard or the same appellation, so it’s nice to do something a little different. I’d love to go back to Crushpad to attend some of their other events.
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Wannabe Wino Wine Blog 
I’ll be very interested to follow your “winemaking” experience via your blog. Apparently Vint HIll, in VA does something similar. Personally, I don’t think I’d make much of a winemaker, but it does sound like a very fun experience if one can afford the buy-in.
Thanks VA Wine Diva. I’m hoping it will be lots of fun!