Naked Wines Appeals To Enthusiasts And Winemakers

Naked Wines Winemakers

The caliber of winemakers under the Naked Wines brand is remarkable, and the winemakers see the benefits as well. Instead of having to get bank loans or find the money to start and run a winery, Naked Wines completely finances the winemakers. They fund the winemaker to buy or grow grapes and provide access to winemaking and bottling facilities. And when the wine is finished, they take care of the sales and marketing.

Darryl Groom, who made Penfolds Grange in Australia, was one of the first winemakers to join Naked Wines more than ten years ago. He makes wines in California and Australia, all of which sell for under $20. "As a winemaker, Naked allows you to make the wines and the varieties that you are most passionate about and have the expertise and knowledge in. They don't tell you what to make or don't have ready SKUs for you to fulfill." He added that Naked Wines "take care of the things most winemakers don't like doing, like the administration, bottling, packaging, marketing, and sales. You just get to make wine and dedicate your full resources and time to that aspect."

According to Ella Worley, Wine Portfolio Lead at Naked Wines, "We offer a degree of freedom that is not possible with other winemaking jobs. Once you reach a certain level, there's a big focus on administrative tasks. A lot of the people we work with have had incredible careers, have built tons of relationships along the way, and just want to get back to winemaking. It's what they fell in love with in the first place!" By handling all aspects of production and distribution, the winemakers can focus on the art of making wine. Darryl added, "It takes away a lot of stress and makes a much happier household."

Montse Reece, who is originally from Spain, has been the winemaker at Pedroncelli Winery in Dry Creek Valley since 2007. She started making her own wine under her name for Naked Wines two years ago. "After many years working in the wine industry for different wineries, Naked Wines offered me the possibility of making my own wine, under my label, without restrictions. To me, as a winemaker, that means that I can show my style and my voice through the wine without worrying about the financing and marketing."

Working for another brand, a winemaker must keep the style of the winery. Starting one's own brand with resources like Naked Wines can offer may be cost-prohibitive for most people. "That is what makes Naked Wines so great," Montse added. "They are giving a voice to independent winemakers, and in the process, I think we are giving consumers more interesting wine choices and perspectives. I enjoy working for Naked Wine because of the freedom I have when it comes to making my wine, and I also like that I can be part of a great winemaker community."

And it is an impressive community. Domestically, Naked Wines includes winemakers such as:

• Penelope Gadd-Coster, who has been the winemaker at Schramsberg, Mumm, and J Vineyards and now has her own sparkling wine brand.
• Wayne Donaldson, the former head winemaker at Domaine Chandon, now makes his own sparkling wine brand with Naked Wines.
• Matt Parish has his own brand after working for famous brands such as Beringer, Etude, and Stag's Leap.
• Rudy von Stasser was a founding father of the Diamond Mountain District and today makes the iconic Cabernets at a more affordable price.
• Daniel Baron, who was the winemaker at Petrus and Silver Oak, is making his own affordable wine in his "retirement."
• Megan and Ryan Glaab have worked for big names such as Torbreck, Sine Qua Non, and Pax Mahle and have their own label, Ryme Cellars, where they focus on Italian varieties. With Naked Wines, they created another brand where they could focus on varieties that do not fit Ryme Cellars and were able to double production.
• Portuguese-born Ana Diogo-Draper plays with lesser-known varieties like Touriga Nacional and Tempranillo with her own brand.
• Ondine Chatton, who was the winemaker at Geyser Peak, has been making wines for Naked Wines for seven years.
• Scott Peterson, a no-holds-barred winemaker, makes the wines that he wants from California and Argentina.
• Chris Condes, a well-known organic winemaker from Mendocino, offers more affordable organic wines through his Naked Wines label.
• French-born Camille Benitah has worked at prestigious Chateaux in Bordeaux and Napa cult wines and now makes her own wines, including a fun blend of 12 grapes in her Limited Red from Paso Robles.

Naked Wines winemakers can have fun making wine without the added stress of finances and marketing.

Customers are introduced to new winemakers, new wines, and new regions, and the wines are delivered to their doors at attractive prices. Customers can communicate with the winemakers if they have a question or comment, and winemakers receive feedback directly from their customers. Naked Wines is a win-win for both the winemaker and the customer.