"This was a chance to take people from all walks of life, from college age to just retired, and give them a common goal," Becky says. "This isn't just about crushing grapes, blending wines and putting a custom label on the bottle. That's just a small part of the process. We want our customers to have the entire experience."
That means going into the fields.
For 11/2 to 2 hours, participants pick the grapes themselves from a Paso Robles vineyard. After a lunch break, they destem and crush the grapes. Old-fashioned barrel stomping is part of the package. The entire winemaking process takes 12 to 18 months (depending on the varietal) and includes tasting the wine, attending winemaking and viticulture classes, labeling the bottles and enjoying a special winemaker dinner featuring an area winery.
Visitors can select one of three varietal clusters — syrah, cabernet sauvignon or zinfandel — with harvests for each occurring on different weekends in October.
To meet the varying needs of its customers, First Crush can be purchased as an all-inclusive package that includes lodging (starting at $1,450 per person) or a la carte, such as a harvest-only package ($550 per person). Certain packages include two cases of the wine.
Participants also can start the winemaking experience at any point during the year. Workshops are divided into quarterly weekends to accommodated out-of-town visitors.
"This is an educational experience," Lowell says, "but we want everyone to participate in the bigger picture."
