Crushpad Unveils Stellar Vineyard Sources for 2005 Harvest; Aspiring Winemakers Encouraged to Place Orders Now to Reserve Fruit.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Crushpad, a community winery for aspiring winemakers, announced that customers can now reserve fruit for the 2005 harvest by visiting www.crushpadwine.com or calling 415-864-4232.

After months of searching, Crushpad has secured contracts to purchase fruit grown in more than 15 vineyards. The vineyards, located in Napa Valley, Russian River Valley, Anderson Valley, Dry Creek Valley and Santa Barbara, include some of California's most prestigious vineyards, many producing 95 to 100 point reviews in major wine publications.

Wine enthusiasts, small-scale professional winemakers, wine retailers and restaurateurs can produce their own small-lot, ultra-premium wine without the hassle of quitting their day jobs or the cost of building their own winery.

Crushpad is conveniently located in San Francisco with full-time winemakers ready to guide interested enophiles through the exciting process of making their own branded and labeled wine. Customers have control over winemaking's many variables: varietal, vineyard source, fermentation and aging preferences, as well as style, aroma and flavor characteristics. The company takes the process all the way through to packaging and Crushpad customers determine their own level of participation in the winemaking process.

Costs vary based primarily on vineyard location and grape prices, varietal, and aging requirements. The typical cost for a single barrel (25 cases) ranges from $3,900 to $5,900, or $13 to $20 per bottle.

"Crushpad is democratizing winemaking," says Michael Brill, founder and CEO of Crushpad. "Our unique winery model allows anyone with the desire to make wine an opportunity to produce their own branded, ultra-premium wine at an affordable cost, without giving up their day job."

In its second year of operation, Crushpad has more than 100 customers, doubling the company's expectations. The community includes professional winemakers launching their own brands, restaurateurs producing private label wines, and avid wine lovers who want to dabble in winemaking. Crushpad has customers in over 20 states and as far away as Tokyo.

Crushpad Hires Bordeaux Varietal Specialist

To broaden customers' options, Crushpad has added Kian Tavakoli to the winemaking team. Kian brings over a decade of winemaking experience to Crushpad. Most recently, he was winemaker at Clos Du Val, where he ran the Napa Valley winery's Bordeaux varietals and reserve wine programs. Prior to Clos Du Val, Kian was with Opus One, also in Napa Valley.

About Crushpad

Crushpad is a San Francisco winery that enables anyone with a serious interest in wine to participate in the magic of winemaking. The winery is designed to allow wine lovers, small scale professional winemakers, wine retailers and restaurateurs to create as little as 25 cases of ultra-premium, branded wines at a reasonable cost. Crushpad provides the equipment, winemaking talent, and fruit sourced from some of California's most prestigious vineyards. The company was founded in 2004 by wine industry veterans and technology industry refugees determined to liberate winemaking from its traditional stereotypes of impossible wealth, expansive chateaus and golden retrievers. For more information, visit www.crushpadwine.com.

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