Extradimensional Wine Co.

WINE TALK
61

Thanks for the feedback Jim - I appreciate the perspective! I completely hear what you’re saying in regards to this being a new venture and I can’t even imagine how difficult it would be running your own winery by yourself…but I do think the Mondavi reference is a bit off. Hardy and his partner were owners of a small winery previously, not a massive corporation with a tremendous amount of financial backing/investors. It sounds like he’s still sourcing grapes from many of the same Vineyards, so while it is a new business…he’s not completely reinventing the wheel here.

That said, your comment about Kate/Hardy being great people and them having 2 kids/bootstrapping the venture makes sense to me. If you have a relationship with them (more so than just buying their wines like I do) and you’re looking at it from the perspective of giving a little to cash to help them fund their project, then I can understand that. I’ve never met them before and thus do not have the same type of personal connection, so look at this from a purely commerce-based standpoint…which makes the concept a difficult pill to swallow. I do still think that long-time consistent buyers (again, not me) are getting the short end of the stick by having this ultimatum, but I do appreciate the additional perspective.

62

I 100% agree with this! As I said in my last post, I can understand peeps wanting to help fund their new venture if they’re close to them/want to support a new business…but that’s not how it was positioned. And the way it was rolled out discounts past loyalty at D&R (in my opinion)

63

Happy Sunday to everyone. [cheers.gif]

I appreciate the attention, hear the concerns, and see the emotions around Yeah! Camp.

We took a different approach to the “club” model and it has appealed to a lot of people (we have a waitlist).

Due to tiny quantity of wine, there is only 1 tier (36 bottles per year) and like many clubs, members get access to wines early. Along with that, shipping is included on case purchases, there is amazing merch included, multiple private events (online and in person), and a wine made just for the camp. There are costs associated with providing those.

We capped Yeah! Camp at 100 members. It is a size where wines will be available to the list beyond Camp members. Everyone has an opportunity to purchase wine on Friday, 9/24.

As far as wines, Mourvèdre is my spirit animal. As long as I have access to world class sources, it will be there. We added a new Mourvèdre vineyard this year and a stunning block was planted for us that will come online in 2023. There are also other varieties - some new, and some we haven’t worked with for years. I’m psyched.

At this point, there is no “entry level” tier of wines. There are only wines I spent a year blending from my previous best sites and fck, they are outstanding. This is the best release I’ll have done.

If you see this only as paying for an early release, Yeah! Camp is not for you (and that’s ok).

If you see this as bankrolling Kate and I, please add some zeros and I’ll send you our routing info :wink:

I hope all who have enjoyed what we’ve produced in the past and who are intrigued by what we’d make if we could begin again get to try all of these wines.

Cheers,
Hardy

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64

Hardy … I think it’s a great, cooler version of a wine club and I’m so glad it sold out so fast. I don’t buy that much so it’s not for me but seemed like a reasonable price for shipping and perks (and not that much money to be seen as a “kickstarter!”)

It’s fun to see you and Katie get to explore a new stage for your wines and it will be great to see what you offer on the 24th!

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65

I probably would’ve signed up but never got around to it, partly too busy.
It’s only recently Kate was able to go full time with the wine business. $22,500 in capital seems pretty bare bones.

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66

Thanks for the update Hardy. I have a soft spot for the Mourvedres so I’m glad there’ll still be some of it. Looking forward to the release on the 24th and to trying what you and Kate cook up next.

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67

Sort of slightly off topic, but just curious - is three cases a year from a consumer (non-wholesale or retail) customer off a list for small to mid-sized winery a lot? It seems like a lot to me, but I honestly don’t know. This isn’t a comment on the new venture, but something I’ve always wondered - what’s the average number of cases purchased per year by a customer?

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It’s going to very widely. Depends on how much one likes and consumes the wines, their budget, and a whole bunch of other factors. Personally though, there’s definitely a few producers I buy 3+ cases annually from. I used to buy ~2 cases annually from D&R. If there’s enough Mourvedre left over, hopefully I’ll continue to do the same.

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69

I was in the 2 case range for several vintages. I hit three one or twice, but it’s not common for me except with one or two wineries.

70

I guess I will contribute to thread drift with my response - but yes, I think it does vary. A LOT. There is NO Producer that I buy 3 cases from. Probably not even 2. I spread the love around…

71

I agree. 3 cases of wine from the same producer, year-in year-out, is a tough slog. There is only so much wine one can drink and so much produced Every. Single. Year.

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While I have bought that many cases from single producers, I am simply not going to pay to commit to 3 cases per year of wines I have never tasted. I suppose one could use D&R as a substitute as having tasted them, which is fine, but not for me. I’m certainly not outraged by this “club” or whatever it is.

I’m hoping to buy some to taste, but if I can’t access them, so be it. I’m long past worrying about missing out on wines. I do wish them all the best, though.

73

Amazon charges $120 a year for Prime service. Costco charges $60 a year to shop there. Both include perks like Prime Video or free food samples. Millions of people don’t mind paying those annual dues just to play.

Extradimensional has perks like free shipping, merch and tastings.

Owning a winery as your only source of income is not as wildly profitable as many may think. To maintain the revenue they desire, they could do away with their “club model” and just charge $20 more per bottle to their mailing list members. And charge $50 shipping for a six pack. Nonetheless, some people will complain one way or another. Its the nature of the beast. Not surprised though that they have a waiting list with people having no objection to the “membership dues”. Wish them all the best!

74

I am a Yeah! camper because I love Hardy’s wines and want to support the new endeavor, however unusual the model. I don’t expect a literal return on investment in saved shipping or the value of a keychain or even getting access to things I might otherwise have missed out on. And (shhh) don’t tell Hardy this, but there’s a good chance I will be sharing the “load” of roughly three cases a year with fellow Hardy enthusiasts who didn’t make the camper list but are happy to know one.

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75

These are… totally different things

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76

Yes these are “…totally different things.” How much are shipping costs for a case of wine? How many products does Amazon sell that are severely limited? Ever get shut out of buying an item at Amazon because you didn’t act quickly enough? How many times does Amazon offer admittance to a Zoom event featuring live music? Would you rather offer financial support to a talented young wine-maker and his dream or a universal retail monster? I am a Yeah! camper and happy to support Hardy. And I’m kinda tired of reading “shade” comments by people who spend a shit-load of cash to finance their first-world palates and bitch and moan about what in Wine Berserker terms is chump change. Buy or don’t buy…but STFU about talented young entrepreneurs with a proven track record looking to create something “new”.

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77

Hard for anyone that paid to be in WB Monopole Cru to complain about Hardy’s Camp.

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78

Huh. Interesting perspective Steve. Guess I didn’t realize we were ‘throwing shade’ when discussing a new approach to a small production wine list that not only effects buyers of the previous label (to a degree) but potentially a larger group if this ‘model’ were to catch on. Feels like a relevant convo to me, but sorry that it triggered you so deeply. You’re clearly very passionate about Hardy’s wines - he’s lucky to have you as a buyer/supporter.

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79

It’s worth noting that Hardy and Kate specifically limited the size of their Camp membership to that there was enough wine left over for others to purchase as well. And as they grow, so will the availability of the wines

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In for a mixed case of the reds