NJ Winemaking School - The Grape Escape - News - Largest Producer of Chilean Wine of Chilean Wine

The Grape Escape Largest Producer of Chilean Wine in U.S.

News Release For Immediate Release
Contact: Thomas Nye / Nancy Nye
The Grape Escape L.L.C.
(609) 409-9463
info@TheGrapeEscape.net

The Most Advanced Hands-on Winery on the East Coast is Gearing up for the Fall California Season

June 20, 2007 - Dayton, NJ – After an incredible 2007 Spring vintage using some of the finest Chilean and Argentinean grapes, The Grape Escape, the first and only winemaking school in Middlesex County, is now the largest producer of Chilean wine in the United States. The Grape Escape will make approximately 36,000 bottles of wine in 2007, made by local wine enthusiasts.

At The Grape Escape, area residents will learn the art and science of creating fine red or white wines, using some of the finest grapes in the world. They learn to crush grapes, press must, barrel the wine, and bottle their own wine, in an enjoyable relaxed atmosphere. Additionally, they have the opportunity to personalize their bottles with customized labels.

This unique experience only takes 3-4 sessions over a 10 month period, totaling 4-5 hours of hands-on winemaking. Winemakers can make their own wine for their own personal enjoyment, for special occasions such as holidays, weddings, reunions, or for personal and client gifts. It is a fun and casual environment which is perfect for sharing with friends, family and co-workers.

“I am extremely proud of the growth of our hands-on winery,” said Thomas Nye, CTO (Chief Tannin Officer) and co-owner at The Grape Escape. “We have focused on providing our customers the most choices in making their own premium wines. They can choose what type of barrel to store their wine as well as the amount of time to age their wine. This type of flexibility is the differentiating factor and makes The Grape Escape unique. And of course, cultivating relationships with some of the finest vineyards in the world is key to maintaining quality. Focusing on those two components has allowed us to become the largest producer of Chilean wine in the United States, right here in Dayton NJ.”

“The growth of our Chilean wines has been stunning. Winemakers are accustomed to making wine from California in the Fall and we weren’t sure there would be the crossover for making wine in the Spring. But South American wine is so unique and different than the typical California fruit forward wines…our customers can’t get enough Malbec or Tempranillo from South America. The Spring season is now 50% of our business. It’s a testament to the popularity of South American wines, as well as our winemaking process.” Said Nancy Nye (Chief Fun Officer) and co-owner.

“Going into our fourth winemaking season, we continue to meet our aggressive projected numbers,” said Thomas Nye.“ and we have every reason to believe that we will continue to do so. We are retaining close to 70% of our customer base season over season. That’s amazing retention.”

Winemakers and funseekers can now order California grapes for the Fall Crush at (609) 409- WINE (9463) or online at GoGrapes.com. Be sure to visit The Grape Escape’s OPEN HOUSE: July 26, between 6:00-8:00 P.M. featuring free appetizers from Spargos Grille. The winemaking experience includes: grapes, wine, wine storage, corks, bottles, shrink capsules, and custom labels. The Grape Escape is located at 12 Stults Road, Suite 101 in Dayton, NJ.

About The Grape Escape: Thomas and Nancy Nye are the proprietors at The Grape Escape, which is the first and only winemaking school in Middlesex County, NJ.

The same grapes used in the best wineries in the U.S. are now available to all winemakers. Award- winning grapes are shipped to the Dayton location, from renowned California appellations such as Napa Valley and Sonoma as well as Chile and Argentina in the Spring.

For more information, visit GoGrapes.com