Label, label, label

As a small winery, 100% family owned we usually end up doing a lot of the activities and household wine chores ourselves. Today, the task was labeling. We are getting ready to release our 2005 vintages of both Pinot Noir and Zinfandel. Labeling and bottling can be one of the biggest expenses wineries occur (besides the grapes themselves).  High tech bottling lines tend to cost anywhere from $200,000 to several million dollars. Instead we rent a labeler for about $85 a day.  We also purchased a capsule machine for $1,200 and this way our costs a decreased but we have to do everything by hand which is both very time consuming and exhausting! I can honestly say that I have personally touched every bottle of our 2005 vintage, now who else do you know that can say that…?

The logistics is the most challenging part of this operation because the flow has to be easy or else someone gets behind and then it slows you down. One thing I have become more conscious of from this experience is now I often wonder if people really check to see if the label of a wine bottle is on straight. We easily spent 1 solid hour and several cases of wine making sure that the labeler was putting the labels on straight. After some time looking at bottle after bottle it was getting more and more difficult to tell the crocked labels from the straight ones. Eventually we got it all figured out.

I would have to say that today is proof that you can do anything with hard work. Our passion and commitment to this family label and the industry is what it is all about for us and we enjoy every minute of it.