For those of us who enjoy a tipple the thought of retiring to the French countryside to start a vineyard is certainly appealing.
Appealing, but not particularly likely.
Capitalizing on the trends towards artisan foods, mass customization and even wine itself, The Algodon Wine Estates in Argentina are offering aficionados at least a taste of the dream; with the chance to buy your own barrel, choose the varietals and even decide how long the wine is aged.
Barrel owners can also create a custom label for their estimated 290 bottles and are entitled to a free stay at the estate to taste their wine.
Prices start from around $5000 (plus shipping and taxes) bringing the total to a quite reasonable $25 or so per bottle. Perfect for the collector or anyone who fancies seeing their name plastered all over the side of a bottle.
Taking the Idea One Step Further
The estate suggests sharing your barrel amongst friends but we would like to see it go one step further and encourage mass collaboration or a crowd funded model.
Imagine hundreds of would-be ‘wine makers’ participating in label designs, choice of varietals and even the sales process, in return for a share in the proceeds or simply a few free samples.
Aussie brewer Brewtopia did it with beer and offered participants a stake in the company when they went public.
So why not wine? A great idea for an existing vineyard to pioneer or a savvy entrepreneur to partner with independent vineyards on.
Site: www.algodonwines.com Via: TooLazyToDoIt
Update: We recently came across a few companies that let you ‘rent’ vines in a vineyard. One of the best was www.wineshare.co.uk
Pic: Flickr
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