Crushpad.com - Create Your Own Wine

The dream of owning a vineyard somewhere in a quaint village in the south of France-- teeming with varietals and fresh country air-- is something between a nostalgia for simplicity and a yearning for sensual indulgence. It´s idyllic and epicurean; plus, imagine how haute and cool it would be to have your own killer vintage. Dream no more, oenophiles, the grapes are just waiting to be picked, courtesy of Crushpad. This site´s an ingenious marriage of 2.0 web and the very tangible and palatable world in which we inhabit. Crushpad is a winery in San Francisco which uses its own experience and grapevine wisdom to assist you become a master winemaker. Yes, indeed, you can make your own wine, without having to own a vineyard, or a winery, without having to pluck one grape, really. Crushpad gives you a virtual command over your chardonnay or sauvignon, or what have you. You or your group plans what sort of wine you want, while Crushpad creates a detailed plan with over thirty detailed specifications. As Crushpad commences making your wine, you can monitor all steps via the website. If you´d like to get hands on with your wine, you can come and assist with the destemming, crushing and pressing; if you can´t make it, you can watch the entire process via webcam. After that comes the aging which lasts from 8-24 months during which time you can taste and decide on blends. At the end of it all you´ll get to design your label and packaging. For those who´ve missed the harvest, there´s still the option to adopt a barrel (Crushpad makes extras); barrels cost between $5,000 and $9,600, or $17-$32 per bottle. The site´s a definite treat for connoisseurs and wine enthusiasts alike.

“Crushpad is a San Francisco winery where you are the winemaker. Crushpad provides grapes from California"s top vineyards, an industry-acclaimed winemaking team and a state-of-the-art winery 100% focused on small lots. You choose your level of involvement and we do the rest. No matter where you live, you can now create your own "cult" wine.”

This site is a real innovation, leveraging web resources to help people become winemakers. While there´s a desire amongst many to create their own things, be it wine, or housewares, the resources aren´t always there; Crushpad brings you all sorts of possibilities, opening up the industrial chain so that anyone can become their own creator. It´s a refreshing take on the possibilities of the web.

Is this site simply too niche, too limited to a certain upper class market that likes wine and has the extra cash to make their own?