San Francisco, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/07/2015 -- Cruzu today announced the general availability of cruzu.com, the first open, global platform to crowfund winemaking projects. Any of the world's 500,000 wineries can now create projects on Cruzu where wine enthusiasts invest in projects in exchange for wines produced by the projects. In addition, winemakers can provide other rewards such as invitations to blending sessions, winemaker dinners and more.
"Most of the world's wineries are too small for distributors and importers to be bothered with," said Michael Brill, Cruzu's founder. "By connecting winemakers directly with the people who care the most about what they do, Cruzu allows winemakers to build their own communities – giving their backers incredible wines, experiences and a glimpse into what it's like to be a winemaker."
Similar to Kickstarter, Cruzu is a true crowdfunding platform. Only if a project captures the interest of the community will it go forward. Funded projects create a direct relationship between winemaker and project backer with over 90% of the proceeds going directly to the winemaker. This allows winemakers to discount wines up to 50% or more, while actually receiving 25% to 50% more per-bottle revenue than selling through traditional channels.
About The Cruzu Project
The first Cruzu project was created by veteran Napa Valley winemaker Kian Tavakoli, whose 2013 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon was fully funded for $8,800 in just 48 hours. Rewards include the wine, blending sessions and one backer even claimed the $1,000 "100 point day" reward where they will drive around with Kian in his truck, visiting Napa's 100 point vineyards and ending with a dinner drinking wines made from those vineyards.
"This is a blast," said Tavakoli. "Not only can I make some fun wines, I can do it without grinding through the normal financial and selling pains. And I've already spoken with a number of backers with some great ideas for the next project. This concept makes so much sense for us winemakers."
Cruzu allows projects to be created in the US and Europe. For instance, a Barolo project launched by Piedmont resident Franco Cavallero is backed by both US and European wine enthusiasts. Cruzu provides the logistics service to get wine to consumers, including import and direct-to-consumer shipping in the US.
"Wine is a $300 billion industry split between vino megatrons that make millions of cases and a guy named Pascal who loves dirt bikes and makes 700 cases of beautiful wine in the Jura," continued Brill. "We're putting our money on Pascal."
Media Contact:
Michael Brill
Cruzu, Inc.
605 Patchett St.
Napa, CA 94559
415-902-7097
http://www.cruzu.com
Contact: Michael Brill, CEO
michael@cruzu.com