A couple weeks ago we told you about some breweries that are relying on community support to build their brands. So what if you love the idea, but prefer wine?
No sweat, winos – there’s an option for you too.
The company is called NakedWines.com and they are taking the wine world by storm right now, catching the attention of major news outlets like TIME Magazine and the Wall Street Journal. When you sign up, you become an “Angel” investor and can order some great wines that are shipped directly to your house. (Aka you get wine monthly at a discounted cost, and Naked Wines gets a steady flow of income.)
Before signing up as an “Angel” you should probably know what you’re actually investing in. NakedWines.com go in search of the most talented winemakers throughout the world: the geniuses behind big brand names, solo wine lovers, individual wine masters, essentially anyone who has made a name for him or herself in the wine world.
Then the winemakers put their trust in Naked Wines. Naked Wines buy the grapes from the wine makers and bring them to their winery in Sonoma. That’s where the grapes are crushed, fermented in large tanks and aged (up to one year) all according to the individual wine makers preferences and recipes. During that time, winemakers can keep track of their wine from wherever they are in the world via a site that shows them vital stats on the progress of their wine. If they don’t like what they’re seeing, they can get in touch with one of the wine masters on site at Naked Wines and tell them how they want things tweaked to their preference.
With the help of Naked Wines and their “Angel” investors, these wine makers are able to make their wine the way they want to without fear of financial or distribution issues. In exchange for investing in the winemaking process, “Angel” investors receive discounted prices on the wine.
As of now, Naked Wines is working with about 130 wine makers and is expected to certainly grow that number within the next year. Think you want to become an “Angel”? Just sign up through their website and get psyched about the low wholesale prices you can buy your wine for – seriously, the prices are awesome. We saw a Sauvignon Blanc that would normally be $21.99 and it sells for $12.99; there’s also a Montaria that retails for $14.99 that they’re selling for $7.99.
All you winos, would you invest in Naked Wines?