Crushpad, the consumer-powered winery, announced that the company has launched Crushnet.com, an online community where consumers meet and collaborate to create their own boutique wines. Wines are produced at Crushpad’s new 34,000 square foot winery in San Francisco and can be shared among the community, reviewed and even entered into nationwide competitions. Crushnet represents a new online wine economy that harnesses the creative expression of millions of wine enthusiasts from across the country.
Crushnet.com is at the forefront of the “Wine 2.0” revolution which, like its web 2.0 predecessor, recasts individuals as producers of unique products instead of just consumers of mass-production goods. Instead of wine enthusiasts being at the end of a long chain of grape growers, wineries, distributors and retailers, they are now at the center of power and provide the wine style definition, capital and, optionally, their own sweat equity to create their own luxury wines.
“Since we started Crushpad in 2004, we’ve had thousands of clients who have been making wine by themselves or in small groups,” said Alan Baker, Crushnet.com’s director. “With Crushnet, we will be able to connect them and bring in a new wave of enthusiasts that can take their wine hobby to the next level.”
Originally posted on June 12, 2007 @ 11:13 pm