Crowdsourcing, NakedWines.com and Cellar Rats

I have never met a cellar rat I didn't like! In case you don't know, those are the people making very good wine in the basement or the bathtub but do not have the money to fund marketing a business.  

That is where Tim, my Naked Wine guy, comes into the picture. (Naked Wine is a "crowd sourcing" or "customer funded" system run by NakedWine.com.) He calls me occasionally and my husband and I discuss what we want shipped to our house. It arrives in a day or two. As a result of that exchange, a "cellar rat" somewhere is being support with money and a place to market their product. 

An article in Forbes talked about how the money from this organization helps winemakers:

With seed money to get started, winemakers are now able to focus on the core of their passion — winemaking, not financing. “Because winemakers don’t have to waste their time and money selling to us, they make a profit, with massively reduced risk,” says Gormley. “And we get great wines at an exclusive price.” from Startup Aims to Democratize Winemaking, Forbes, Erica Swallow

We have received some very good wines through them. Even the ones that are not 10's are still very good. I like this way of buying wine. I am democratic after all. I am hoping to visit some of these wineries in person one day.  It would be such a lot of fun.

This case included 4 free bottles! NakedWine.com likes
us a lot! It cost us $40 because we are valued customers.
The normal price would be $140. 

We loved the label of the o'mg 2012 that was included in the case we received today. We weren't sure if the name referred to the text message abbreviation, OMG, or the O'connell gang that owns the winery. The back read like this:

When we started making wine in the south of France, we had no idea what we were in for. We were eager to work hard in the vines and in the cellar, but we didn't realize all the paperwork, the sales meetings and the endless cold calls hoping some restaurant manager would agree to taste test our wine... 

O'Wines would not have been the same without the Angels (Naked Angels). And we've never met an Angel who wasn't happy to taste test the wine? 

If you're ever in the south of France, come and visit the vineyard you supported. The wines taste even better out here. www.ovineyards.com/visits

We heard about it the Naked Wine Angels by word of mouth. So now you can become a part of the process too. Mention my name if you decide to join. I don't think I will get anything but I want them to know I am on their side!

Wine is on my mind and I thought of you first.

b+

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