At Rack & Riddle Custom Wine Services, we’re passionate about personalized service and work with clients of all sizes — small boutique wineries to major corporations. No matter the size of your business, you will feel comfortable with our process, taken care of, and ultimately end up with a wine you can be proud to have your label on.

Rack & Riddle Custom Wine Services, one of the largest custom crush and winemaking companies in the North Bay area, provides “shiners” or “clean skins” as winemakers in Australia call the phenomenon—unlabeled wine for application of businesses’ or individuals’ own brand labels.

Contact Rack & Riddle at 707-433-8400 for information on receiving $12 off per case as part of the Rack & Riddle Healdsburg Grand Opening sale – only two weeks are left for these great savings.

“Through custom dosage and other methods, you can truly make the wine your own,” said Rack & Riddle Executive Director of Winemaking Penny Gadd-Coster. “Shiners are growing in popularity, because it’s a way for a business or individual to make wine commercially, and market their brand, without having to build a winery. We take care of the label approval, bottling, labeling and prepping the finished case goods for shipment.”

Rack & Riddle stands apart as one of the only providers of a wide selection of both still wine and sparkling wine shiners, and specializes in sparkling wines made in the méthode champenoise tradition—a labor-intensive and expensive process that involves second fermentation in the bottle.

Rack & Riddle recently opened a second facility in the booming wine country of Healdsburg, Calif. This allows customers’ brand labels to state their business name/wine brand as being produced and bottled in Healdsburg. “The name ‘Healdsburg’ is a powerful marketing tool, as it holds a lot of cache,” said Gadd-Coster.

Healdsburg Mayor Jim Wood said of Rack & Riddle’s winemaking operation, “It fills an important niche in the industry, giving smaller producers an opportunity to create world class wines right in town.”

Wineries are wise to offer sparkling wine, as the International Wine and Spirit Research (IWSR) research consultancy predicts worldwide consumption rates of sparkling wine will outpace that of still wines between 2012 and 2016.

From 2007 to 2011, sparkling wine consumption increased 4.17 percent, compared to the 2.72 percent increase seen in still, light wines during the same period.

The consumption of sparkling wines is projected to rise 8.52 percent between 2012 and 2016, due to expected consumption increases in the top four sparkling wine markets: the United States, Germany, France, and Russia, according to IWSR.

Rack & Riddle’s Sonoma County expansion poises the company as one of the largest custom crush facilities specializing in sparkling wine in California. Rack & Riddle anticipates significant growth through increased bottling, stainless steel tank and tirage storage capacity. As a result of the Alexander Valley expansion, 15 new jobs were created at Rack & Riddle; additional new jobs will be created in coming months.

In the past two years, Rack & Riddle has seen business soar by 40 percent. Production in 2011 grew from 700,000 cases a year to 850,000 cases the following year. In 2013, the company produced more than 1 million cases of wine on behalf of well over 100 winemaking clients. Rack & Riddle was founded in 2007 with just eight employees and today has more than 50 employees.

ABOUT RACK & RIDDLE CUSTOM WINE SERVICES:
With a recent expansion to two new locations in Sonoma County, Rack & Riddle is proudly committed to providing pristine facilities where winemakers craft both still and sparkling wines. Rack & Riddle offers complete grape-to-bottle, base-to-bottle, and shiner programs for private labels, and houses nearly 2 million gallons of stainless steel storage and fermentation vessels. An exceptional winemaking team produces over 1 million cases of wine annually. For more information, please visit www.rackandriddle.com.

 

Women in Business 2013: Rebecca Faust, Rack & Riddle Wine Services

Winners of the North Bay Business Journal’s ‘Women in Business’ awards were chosen from nearly 50 nominees. Factors included leadership in the organization, business-related innovations, vision and community involvement.

Tell us about yourself and your company: I am very shy, but can get comfortable following an introduction. I run from spotlights, speeches and most meetings held for little or no purpose. I would much rather stick to a focused agenda each day that allows for accomplishment and progress. I love my children and take great pride in their success.

Rack & Riddle has been a labor of love and seven-day work weeks. It has evolved from a simple beginning and a few clients to a very complex business with more than 150 clients. That is strategically challenging. We have an amazing group of employees and the effort they put in their jobs and the work they do on behalf of our clients leaves me humbled.

We are lucky to have them all. I don’t know what the days ahead will bring, but the journey so far at Rack & Riddle has been filled with many twists and turns, a few surprises and tears and a great many moments of pride. I have been very lucky.

What is a major accomplishment in the past year or so?: Launching a new sparkling wine brand, Breathless Wines, with my sisters, in memory of our mother.

What is the achievement you are most proud of?: The establishment of Rack & Riddle, and finding my children still wanting me to be a big part of their lives.

What is your biggest challenge today?: The need for capital to continue to expand the business. Getting a loan when you’re not wealthy, despite the success of Rack & Riddle, is difficult.  

Words that best describe you: Shy, fair and I have a big heart for anything involving my children, my sisters or any of their children. I very much love them all.

As a successful female professional, what were the biggest obstacles you faced and how did you overcome them?: That my entrepreneurial spirit was somehow less important. I never stopped dreaming about having my own business though. Launching a wine business, especially one dealing in service that lacks the glamour of its own brand, and succeeding during a period a time when so many businesses failed was proof about dreams and daring to try.

How do you think your profession will change in the next five years?: The need for more innovation in reaching consumers must be a major driver for those in the wine business. Spirits and beer are always trying to find a pitch to reach consumers. Wine as a beverage waits to be discovered. It’s the wrong approach.

What advice would you give to a young woman entering your profession or the work world today?: Find passion, work hard, be fair in your judgement of others.

Who was your most important mentor?: My mother, Martha Faust. She was in business before most women knew what business meant. She worked hard to raise three daughters and to make them believe they could succeed. She gave us all a strong work ethic and a determination to succeed.

Most admired businessperson outside your organization: Jon Dal Poggetto

Current reading: Ownership Thinking by Brad Hams

Most want to meet: Buster Posey

Stress relievers: Planning trips and then visiting my daughter in Ireland

Favorite hobbies: Soccer, running and watching my son play baseball

 

To learn more about Rack & Riddle's Custom Wine Services, please visit: http://www.rackandriddle.com/ or call 707-744-8100.

SONOMA COUNTY, Calif., October 14, 2013 – Rack & Riddle Custom Wine Services today announced it will host a celebration of the life and work of acclaimed winemaker Raphaël Brisbois on Saturday, October 26 at 3 p.m. at the Alexander Valley Hall in Geyserville. Friends and family are invited to attend.

Brisbois passed away from cancer on August 22, 2013.

Brisbois, a native of France, was a highly-regarded winemaker not only in Sonoma County, but across four continents. He was especially well known for 35-plus years’ expertise crafting premier sparkling wines. Brisbois brought passion, wit and joie de vivre to each project he touched. Through happy memories and great wines, his legacy will not be forgotten.

For friends or family wishing to attend, please bring a special bottle of wine to share. Dinner will be served at 4 p.m. Attendance requires reservation by October 18 to Monica Smith at Rack & Riddle: 707-744-8100 or monica@rackandriddle.com.

Event Details

Location:
Alexander Valley Hall
5512 Highway 128 Geyserville, CA

Time:
3 p.m.

RSVP:
By October 18^th Monica
707-744-8100
monica@rackandriddle.com

 

ABOUT RACK & RIDDLE CUSTOM WINE SERVICES:

From a 120,000-square-foot facility in Hopland, Calif., Rack & Riddle Custom Wine Services is proudly committed to providing a pristine facility where winemakers craft both still and sparkling wines. Rack & Riddle offers complete grape to bottle or base to bottle wine production services, and houses nearly 2 million gallons of stainless steel tank storage and fermentation vessels ranging from 500 to 100,000 gallons. An exceptional winemaking team produces more than 500,000 cases of still and sparkling wine each year. Rack & Riddle also offers a shiners program for those looking to add sparkling wine to their portfolio. Rack & Riddle is a California Certified Organic and Demeter Biodynamic ® Certified winery. For more information, please visit www.rackandriddle.com.

SOURCE: Rack & Riddle Custom Wine Services

Press release contact:

Elizabeth Nixon
Business Development Associate
Rack & Riddle Custom Wine Services
707-744-8100
elizabeth@rackandriddle.com

HOPLAND, Calif., October 22, 2013—Rack & Riddle Custom Wine Services, one of the largest custom crushand winemakingcompanies in the North Coast, and currently servicing more than 100 clients from its facility in Hopland, has announced it will be leasing 67,000 square feet of additional space in Sonoma County.

            The expansion announced by Rack & Riddle will utilize space in Healdsburg and be primarily used to produce sparkling wine for a host of clients. “We are excited to be expanding into Sonoma County with a major segment of our operations,” said Rebecca Faust, co-owner of Rack & Riddle. “During the last few years our business has experienced growth of some 40 percent, and this allows us to realize a long desired hope to expand, bring on new clients, and have a significant presence in Sonoma County.”

            Bruce Lundquist, co-owner, said, “Our operation is unique and trusted in the industry. Our expansion into Healdsburg, which is the first step in our expansion plan, gives us many more opportunities to serve our customers. Internally, it also represents a wonderful set of new opportunities for our employees. For example, we were pleased to recently announce that Mark Garaventa, vice president of business development, has been promoted to a new role in our company, that of general manager.”

            The scope of the current Rack & Riddle operation in Hopland is significant. Currently, the company produces more than one million cases of sparkling and still wine each year on behalf of its clients. The expansion into Sonoma County will provide new and existing clients with additional custom services and importantly, geographic branding opportunities. “Many of our clients have been interested in being able to label their products as produced in Sonoma County. Obtaining a long-term lease in Healdsburg will facilitate our meeting those client requests,” said Faust.

            Rack & Riddle expects to occupy the new site immediately. “We have the normal amount of work necessary to make the facility our own,” said Lundquist. “But, we expect to be operational as quickly as permits and licenses can be obtained.  We look forward to providing the same high level of service and capability as is currently being offered by our Hopland facility.”

 

ABOUT RACK & RIDDLE CUSTOM WINE SERVICES:

From a 120,000-square-foot facility in Hopland, and a 67,000-square-foot facility in Healdsburg, Calif., Rack & Riddle Custom Wine Services is proudly committed to providing pristine facilities where winemakers craft both still and sparkling wines. Rack & Riddle offers complete grape to bottle or base to bottle wine production services, and houses nearly 2 million gallons of stainless steel tank storage and fermentation vessels ranging from 500 to 100,000 gallons. An exceptional winemaking team produces more than one million cases of still and sparkling wine each year. Rack & Riddle also offers a shiners program for those looking to add sparkling wine to their portfolio. Rack & Riddle is a California Certified Organic and Demeter Biodynamic ® Certified winery. For more information, please visit www.rackandriddle.com.

SONOMA COUNTY, Calif., December 17, 2013—Rack & Riddle Custom Wine Services, one of the largest custom crushand winemakingcompanies on the North Coast, announced today it has signed a lease agreement for the Murphy Family Winery, located in Alexander Valley just south of Geyserville.  Rack & Riddle will assume responsibility for all operations at the facility on January 1, 2014.  The announcement follows months of negotiations between the Murphy Family and the two partners of Rack & Riddle—Rebecca Faust and Bruce Lundquist.

            Jim Murphy, along with brothers T.J., Denny, and sister Patty, were very pleased to have found Rack & Riddle as a tenant.  “We placed a high premium on finding a tenant that would uphold the many expectations we have in the use of our winery”, said Jim Murphy.  “We believe Rack & Riddle will provide excellent service to our existing clients, and will do so while maintaining and enhancing what our family has established here in Alexander Valley.”  Equally excited and pleased was Rack & Riddle.  “The Murphy Family has been great throughout our negotiations,” said Rebecca Faust, co-owner of Rack & Riddle.  “They have built a legacy here on Highway 128, and we intend to honor their family by making this winery a premier site for winemakers and winemaking.”

            The deal announced today adds significantly to the capabilities of Rack & Riddle in servicing clients particularly from both Sonoma and Mendocino counties. With the lease of the Murphy Winery containing 50,000 square feet of space, combined with the October lease of 67,000 feet of space in Healdsburg, Rack & Riddle has expanded its presence in Sonoma County in just two months to some 117,000 total square feet.

The expansion poises Rack & Riddle to become one of the largest custom crush facilities specializing in sparkling wine in California. Rack & Riddle anticipates significant growth and increased production through the addition of multiple bottling lines. “The expansion to Sonoma County has been a major effort, but a very successful one,” said Faust. “We have long felt that having a Sonoma County presence was an important part of our strategic business plan and will give our clients additional crush and winemaking options that we otherwise would be unable to provide from our current Hopland location.”

To aid in the transition as Rack & Riddle expands to the facility, Murphy Family Winery owners Jim and T.J. Murphy will continue on at the location as consultants to Rack & Riddle.

            The lease of the well-known Murphy Winery is an opportunity for Rack & Riddle to further add needed space for a burgeoning operation that serves well over 100 clients. “The operational plan for us is simple,” says Bruce Lundquist, co-owner of Rack & Riddle. “We are committed to providing facilities in Sonoma County where both still and sparkling wines can be crafted by the superb winemaking talent we know as our clients. To be able to offer our clients additional choices is a dream come true.”          

            Lundquist said, “Rack & Riddle’s expansion first into Healdsburg and now with the Murphy Family Winery, should provide the needed space for our operations, that currently produces more than a million cases of sparkling and still wine each year on behalf of our clients.”

ABOUT RACK & RIDDLE CUSTOM WINE SERVICES:

From a 120,000-square-foot facility in Hopland, a 67,000-square-foot facility in Healdsburg, and a 50,000 square-foot facility in Geyserville, Calif., Rack & Riddle Custom Wine Services is proudly committed to providing pristine facilities where winemakers craft both still and sparkling wines. Rack & Riddle offers complete grape to bottle or base to bottle wine production services, and houses nearly 2 million gallons of stainless steel tank storage and fermentation vessels ranging from 500 to 100,000 gallons. An exceptional winemaking team produces more than one million cases of still and sparkling wine each year. Rack & Riddle also offers a shiners program for those looking to add sparkling wine to their portfolio. Rack & Riddle is a California Certified Organic and Demeter Biodynamic® Certified winery. For more information, please visit www.rackandriddle.com.

SOURCE: Rack & Riddle Custom Wine Services
Press release contact:

Brian Sobel

Sobel Communications   

(Tel.) 707.762.3509

HEALDSBURG, Calif., April 23, 2014 – Rack & Riddle Custom Wine Services, one of the largest custom crush and winemaking companies in the North Bay area, today announced its new Healdsburg facility is expected to be functionally operational June 15th, with full capabilities expected August 1st. A grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony is slated for August 27th for the new wine production facility, which has undergone improvements since October.

“We’re thrilled to have expanded our Sonoma County footprint to some 120,000 square feet over the course of just nine months,” said Bruce Lundquist, co-owner of Rack & Riddle. “It’s been a long-held goal to offer our clients more winemaking options and increased production capabilities. Now, with two locations in the heart of Sonoma County wine country, we can.

Rack & Riddle has occupied its Alexander Valley location, dedicated to crushing and fermenting, since January 1st. The Healdsburg facility, located on Moore Lane a few blocks from the Healdsburg town square, focuses on all phases of sparkling winemaking, as well as still wine bottling and alternative wine packaging.

“The City of Healdsburg is excited to welcome Rack & Riddle’s custom winemaking operations to our community,” said Healdsburg Mayor Jim Wood. “It fills an important niche in the industry giving smaller producers an opportunity to create world class wines right in town.”

Rack & Riddle will be making a full transition out of its original Hopland location – where it was based for seven years – over the next two months. The departure makes way for the Hopland building’s new occupant, Duckhorn Wine Co., which is unaffiliated with Rack & Riddle.

“Since our inception, it’s been an important part of our strategic business plan to have a Sonoma County presence,” said Rebecca Faust, co-owner of Rack & Riddle.  “We feel the centrally-located facilities, increased winemaking space, and also the ability to offer either “Healdsburg” or “Geyserville” for clients’ back labels, are all attractive benefits we otherwise could not have provided from the Hopland location.”

The Sonoma County expansion poises Rack & Riddle as one of the largest custom crush facilities specializing in sparkling wine in California. Rack & Riddle anticipates significant growth through increased bottling, stainless steel tank and tirage storage capacity. As a result of the Alexander Valley expansion, 15 new jobs were created at Rack & Riddle; additional new jobs are expected to be created in coming months.

In the past two years, Rack & Riddle has seen business soar by 40 percent. Production in 2011 grew from 700,000 cases a year to 850,000 cases the following year. In 2013, the company produced more than one million cases of wine on behalf of well over 100 winemaking clients.

“This expansion into Healdsburg and Alexander Valley provides the space we need during an exciting time of unprecedented growth,” said Faust. “We very much look forward to calling Sonoma County our headquarters and for ongoing partnerships with the local wineries, businesses and communities in the years to come.”

ABOUT RACK & RIDDLE CUSTOM WINE SERVICES:
Based in Healdsburg, Calif., Rack & Riddle Custom Wine Services is proudly committed to providing pristine facilities where winemakers craft both still and sparkling wines. Rack & Riddle offers complete grape-to-bottle, base-to-bottle, and shiner programs for private labels, and houses 2 million gallons of stainless steel storage and fermentation vessels ranging from 500 to 50,000 gallons. An exceptional winemaking team produces over one million cases of wine annually. For more information, please visitwww.rackandriddle.com.

Rack & Riddle Set to Showcase Comprehensive Equipment Overhaul, by MASPACK Packaging USA, at Industry Event in Late Spring, 2019

MASPACK Packaging USA, the American arm of MASPACK Packaging, based in Italy, is set to begin completion of a three-phase overhaul for Rack & Riddle’s custom crush facility in Healdsburg, CA. MASPACK USA assisted Rack & Riddle with an initial upgrade a year and a half ago by designing and installing a case packer, case sealer and palletizer into its still wine line, integrating the existing and new machinery along with new bottle conveyors and full automation.

“Throughout that initial upgrade, we interviewed several companies and determined that MASPACK was the best fit for us,” affirms Mark Garaventa, General Manager at Rack & Riddle Custom Wine Services. “We got exactly what we needed from them in terms of installation and implementation. Their knowledge and expertise are tremendous. They have proven to us that they are the company we want to continue to work with and the proficiency to upgrade our sparkling line.”

Due to the success of the installation and the top-notch service provided by MASPACK USA, Rack and Riddle sought the company out again when they decided to increase the speed and efficiency of their sparkling wine bottling and packaging process.

“Automation within the industry will be growing over the next few years,” predicts Alberto Migliardi, MASPACK Packaging USA’s CEO. “We are very focused on wine and spirits, and we aim always to deliver the best machinery for our customer’s needs and provide excellence in technical service.” 

Alberto added, “In order to guarantee that excellence in service, we developed a Technical Service Division here in California to ensure we have support technicians on the ground. We moved a very experienced technician here from Italy and another will be arriving in late spring to assist in development and training of our local technicians. Additionally, our machines are remotely connected to Italy providing a 24 hours a day to assist operators in resolving any problems.”

Rack & Riddle’s sparkling line upgrade has been accomplished through a comprehensive, three-phase plan. The first involved automating its triage application process transferring bottles from the line to wooden bins. The second is installing robotics solutions to transfer bottles from the wooden bins to metal cages in preparation for riddling. The third phase, will be full automation and upgrade of the facility’s disgorging end of line including the installation of a monobloc case erector and case packer, partition inserter, case sealer, weight measure and Palletizer.

“The upgrades were made on behalf of our clients, to demonstrate our continued commitment to quality and excellence in service and standards. We expect to be the premiere sparkling wine facility in America,” proclaims Garaventa. “This is a true partnership we have with MASPACK. They want us to be successful and work with us to meet all of our needs and our demands in order to accomplish that.”

Rack & Riddle is planning an industry-wide open house at its new facility in Healdsburg in late Spring 2019, to showcase the full equipment overhaul designed and installed by MASPACK.

In the meantime, they will be on hand to discuss the upgrades and answer questions at the UNIFIED Wine and Grape Symposium January 29-31 in Sacramento at BOOTH #1837. MASPACK Representatives will also be available for meetings or introductions during UNIFIED. Please email Alberto@maspackusa.com or Dan@maspackusa.com if you would like to set up a meeting to answer all your questions.

For more information on MASPACK Packaging USA, go to maspackusa.com or for information on Rack and Riddle, visit www.rackandriddle.com

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HEALDSBURG, Calif., January 18, 2018 – Rack & Riddle Custom Wine Services, one of the nation’s largest winemaking operations specializing in sparkling wine and still wines, has brought on board a winemaking consultant in response to its fast-paced growth and recent facilities expansion.

Rack & Riddle has partnered with Jerome Barret, a consultant with over 20 years’ experience in methode Champenoise, the French style of sparkling winemaking Rack & Riddle is known for in the industry and with consumers. Barret will work alongside Rack & Riddle’s Director of Winemaking Penelope Gadd-Coster, who leads an in-house team of winemaking and operations staff members.

Barret, who hails from France and speaks three languages, “brings a world-wide perspective in the sparkling wine business with his expertise in global wines,” said Rack & Riddle Gadd-Coster.

“We’ve sought out Jerome’s expertise to assist our already amazing sparkling wine team to grow into the future and continue our leadership in the industry as a truly one-of-a-kind custom sparkling house.”

Barret’s experience ranges from cellar master to winemaker, and expert lecturer with the Institut Oenologique de Champagne, and has handled wine exports on four continents as well as large equipment investment budgets and line production design. He holds winemaking degrees from Reims University and Lycee Viticole d’Avize.

Founded in 2007, Rack & Riddle is a family-owned operation that has seen steady growth, expanding to two new locations in 2014 and more than doubling its case production in the past decade.

“Bringing on new talent like Jerome ensures we stay abreast of the latest technological advances in winemaking,” said Gadd-Coster. “Jerome’s unique blend of new world and old-world expertise aligns with our foundational techniques that have resulted in high-caliber wines for our clientele and the Rack & Riddle family of brands.”

Rack & Riddle offers services–from “grape to glass” or a la carte–to both large and small producers nationwide. Clients can make wines from grapes or base wine, or choose from a selection of private label sparkling wines.

ABOUT RACK & RIDDLE CUSTOM WINE SERVICES

Rack & Riddle is proudly committed to providing pristine facilities where winemakers craft both still and sparkling wines. Rack & Riddle offers complete grape-to-bottle, base-to-bottle, and private label programs to its clients, and houses nearly 2 million gallons of stainless steel storage and fermentation vessels. An exceptional winemaking team produces over 1 million cases of wine annually. For more information, visit www.rackandriddle.com

Contact Rack & Riddle to Reserve Space for Your Sparkling Base-to-Bottle Project! (707) 857-4000

Did you know that Rack & Riddle can produce premium, méthode champenoise sparkling wine from your base wine?

With the guidance of our expert winemakers, you can produce your own sparkling wine from base-to-bottle. Rack & Riddle can tirage bottle, age, disgorge and then label your wine. Full-service sparkling wine production ensures your wine is in the best of hands from start to finish.

If you're interested in our base-to-bottle services, please contact us right away to book your project; base wine is typically brought in to our facility around December or January, but reservations for space are happening now!

Follow these tips from our winemakers to prep your base wine just right: 

Tips for Picking:

• Taste grapes in the vineyard for flavor profile
• Pick at 17-20 Brix
• pH 2.9 to 3.2
• TA 0.9 to 1.2

Tips for Base Wine:

• 11% is the preferred alcohol percentage for the wine coming in.
• We aim for the finished product to be in the 12.5% to 13% range.
• 3.1 pH is ideal, but it is adjustable if wine comes in at a lower or higher pH.

Have a Happy Harvest!

The Rack & Riddle Team
Rack & Riddle Custom Wine Services

HEALDSBURG, Calif., August 5, 2014 – Rack & Riddle Custom Wine Services, one of the largest custom crush and winemaking companies in the North Bay area, today announced its new Healdsburg facility is fully operational. The 67,000-square-foot facility focuses on complete sparkling winemaking production, white wine fermentation and still wine bottling. A grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony will take place August 27th from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. for the new wine production facility, which has been undergoing improvements since Rack & Riddle’s long-term lease of the building began in October. Rack & Riddle invites those in the wine industry or members of the media to RSVP to attend the grand opening by calling 707-433-8400. Tours of the facility will take place throughout the event.

“It has been quite an undertaking to entirely move our 1 million-case-per-year custom crush operation in nine months,” said Bruce Lundquist, co-owner of Rack & Riddle. “By expanding our Sonoma County footprint to 120,000 square feet in two facilities in the heart of Healdsburg and Alexander Valley wine country, we can now offer clients more winemaking options: multiple bottling lines including a new 140-bottle-per-minute still wine line; nearly 2 million gallons of stainless steel storage and fermentation vessels; on-site, full service laboratories; and increased tirage storage.”

Rack & Riddle has occupied its Alexander Valley location at 4001 Hwy 128 in Geyserville, dedicated to crushing and fermenting, since January 1st. The Healdsburg facility, located a few blocks from the Healdsburg town square at 499 Moore Lane, focuses on all phases of sparkling winemaking and bottling, as well as still wine bottling, white wine fermentation, and alternative wine packaging including pouching and kegging.

“Having already designed a state-of-the-art facility with winemakers in mind in 2007 in Hopland, this time around we were able to create an even superior design,” said Rack & Riddle Executive Director of Winemaking Penny Gadd-Coster. “We learned from our mistakes in Hopland and what we could do better, and implemented those changes in the Healdsburg facility, in terms of improved layout, ease of accommodating clients’ special requests, keeping sparkling separate from still wines, and raising the bar by providing higher quality in all capacities of the business.”

Healdsburg Mayor Jim Wood praised the project as a “great example” of building and planning strategies getting a major project up and running in a short amount of time. “The City of Healdsburg is excited to welcome Rack & Riddle’s custom winemaking operations to our community,” said Jim Wood, Healdsburg mayor. “It fills an important niche in the industry, giving smaller producers an opportunity to create world class wines right in town.”

Rack & Riddle made a full transition out of its original Hopland location – where it was based for seven years – at the end of May, 2014. The departure made way for the Hopland building’s new occupant, Duckhorn Wine Co., which is unaffiliated with Rack & Riddle.

Rebecca Faust, co-owner of Rack & Riddle, said a Sonoma County presence for Rack & Riddle has been a long-held goal.  “We feel the centrally-located facilities, increased winemaking space, and also the ability to offer ‘Healdsburg’ for clients’ back labels, are all attractive benefits we otherwise could not have provided from the Hopland location.”

The Sonoma County expansion poises Rack & Riddle as one of the largest custom crush facilities specializing in sparkling wine in California. Rack & Riddle anticipates significant growth through increased bottling, stainless steel tank and tirage storage capacity. As a result of the Alexander Valley expansion, 15 new jobs were created at Rack & Riddle; additional new jobs will be created in coming months.

In the past two years, Rack & Riddle has seen business soar by 40 percent. Production in 2011 grew from 700,000 cases a year to 850,000 cases the following year. In 2013, the company produced more than 1 million cases of wine on behalf of well over 100 winemaking clients. Rack & Riddle was founded in 2007 with just eight employees and today has over 50 employees.

“This expansion into Healdsburg and Alexander Valley provides the space we need during an exciting time of unprecedented growth,” said Faust. “We are excited to call Sonoma County our home and headquarters, and for ongoing partnerships with the local wineries, businesses and communities in the years to come.”

ABOUT RACK & RIDDLE CUSTOM WINE SERVICES:
With a recent expansion to two new locations in Sonoma County, Rack & Riddle is proudly committed to providing pristine facilities where winemakers craft both still and sparkling wines. Rack & Riddle offers complete grape-to-bottle, base-to-bottle, and shiner programs for private labels, and houses nearly 2 million gallons of stainless steel storage and fermentation vessels. An exceptional winemaking team produces over 1 million cases of wine annually. For more information, please visit www.rackandriddle.com.

 

CONTACT: Elizabeth Nixon

Media Relations – Rack & Riddle

707-857-4000 ext. 220

elizabeth@rackandriddle.com

HEALDSBURG, Calif., Aug. 28, 2014 – Rack & Riddle Custom Wine Services, one of the largest custom crush operations in Northern California, celebrated the grand opening and ribbon cutting of its new Healdsburg facility on Wednesday. Approximately 200 guests attended the event, including Healdsburg city and Chamber of Commerce officials, preeminent wine industry figures and the area’s top winemakers. Guests were guided on behind-the-scenes tours of the facility, and enjoyed Rack & Riddle sparkling wines, wood-fired pizza by Diavola Pizzeria and live music performed by The Delta Rockets.

In a speech to the large crowd of 150-plus people gathered underneath the white tent for the 2:30 p.m. ribbon cutting, Rack & Riddle co-owner Bruce Lundquist thanked the many people who helped make the new 67,000-square-foot winemaking facility a reality.

“We’ve had a fairly tumultuous four or five months moving down here from Hopland—it’s a little bit ironic we actually started our business partnership here in Healdsburg, started our first business operations in Hopland, and eight years later we find ourselves back in Healdsburg, and we’re happy to be back here,” said Lundquist.

In just nine months’ time over the past year, Rack & Riddle expanded its footprint to 120,000 square feet in Sonoma County via its Alexander Valley location at 4001 Hwy 128 in Geyserville, dedicated to crushing and fermenting, and the new Healdsburg facility, located a few blocks from the Healdsburg town square at 499 Moore Lane. The Healdsburg facility focuses on all phases of sparkling winemaking and bottling, as well as still wine bottling, white wine fermentation, and alternative wine packaging including pouching and kegging.

“To our neighbors and friends, you’ve probably been hearing about this project from the sidelines and now you’re seeing it first-hand, so we welcome you,” said Lundquist. “We welcome all of our clients who made the trip here today. We’re very thankful for our clients and their continued use of our services.”

Having grown from eight employees when founded in 2007 to more than 50 today, Rack & Riddle has seen its business increase 42 percent the past two years. Rack & Riddle found its niche as one of only a handful of custom crush facilities in the nation specializing in méthode champenoise sparkling wines—a labor-intensive process that involves secondary fermentation in the bottle.

Rack & Riddle offers full custom services for sparkling wines as well asstill red and white wines. Among its offerings are complete base-to-bottle, grape-to-bottle and “shiner” programs (pre-bottled wines available to purchase for application of customers’ private brand labels). Rack & Riddle unlocks the ability for wineries, businesses or individuals to create a private label wine, without the overhead and investment of owning a winery.

Rack & Riddle customers spoke of the benefits of utilizing the shiner and custom crush programs. “We wanted a high quality sparkling wine that would complement our portfolio of high-end Pinot Noirs and Pinotages,” said Amy Kemp, co-proprietor of Loma Prieta Winery. “After tasting through some of the Rack & Riddle samples, we decided to privately label a lovely Blanc de Noirs. We’re almost sold out of it, and have ordered a new Blanc de Noirs sparkling with a Pinot Meunier dosage, about which we’re very excited.”

Loma Prieta also recently sent Rack & Riddle 10 tons of Pinotage to crush and create a sparkling wine in the grape-to-bottle program. “We are eagerly anticipating what might be California’s very first sparkling made from 100 percent Pinotage fruit,” said Kemp. “Working with Rack & Riddle has been an absolute pleasure. They are extremely knowledgeable and provide outstanding customer service, which affords us the opportunity to provide a superior product at a very reasonable price point.”

ABOUT RACK & RIDDLE CUSTOM WINE SERVICES:
With a recent expansion to two new locations in Sonoma County, Rack & Riddle is proudly committed to providing pristine facilities where winemakers craft both still and sparkling wines. Rack & Riddle offers complete grape-to-bottle, base-to-bottle, and shiner programs for private labels, and houses nearly 2 million gallons of stainless steel storage and fermentation vessels. An exceptional winemaking team produces over 1 million cases of wine annually. For more information, please visit www.rackandriddle.com.

       

 You're Invited to...   

Rack & Riddle Winery's Champagne Cocktail & Meet the Winemaker Event      

at

Rack & Riddle Winery, Alexander Valley  

UPDATE: Due to Harvest and logistics of recieivng and processing grapes at this facility, we feel that the event as intially advertised for Sept. 27th will suffer. Please stay tuned as we will soon announce the new date for this event, which will be rescheduled to a weekend date in October.

What: Rack & Riddle Meet the Winemaker Event    

When:TBD

Where: Rack & Riddle Winery 4001 Hwy 128, Geyserville, CA 95441  

RSVP: To monica@rackandriddle.com

 

Please accept our invitation to see Rack & Riddle's new winemaking facility in Alexander Valley, while meeting our winemaker Penny Gadd-Coster and other Rack & Riddle team members!

Penny Gadd-Coster, winner of "Winemaker of the Year" in the North Bay Business Journal's inaugural Wine Industry Awards, has garnered 14 Gold and Best of Class honors for Rack & Riddle's four varietals of bubbly in the past year alone! 

At our event, learn about Rack & Riddle's Sparkling Wine Club. Averaging only $50 per shipment for three bottles, three times per year, our members also get 25% off any wine or apparel purchase, plus much more!

Enjoy R&R bubbly paired with delicious hors d' oeuvres, plus a delightful Autumn themed champagne apple cider cocktail with recipe you can take home with you!

We hope to see you there!

Cheers,

        The Rack & Riddle Team 

 

 

           

                 

 

       

 You're Invited to...   

Rack & Riddle Winery's Champagne Cocktail & Meet the Winemaker Event      

at

Rack & Riddle Winery, Alexander Valley  

What: Rack & Riddle Meet the Winemaker Event    

When: Oct. 25^th, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Where: Rack & Riddle Winery 4001 Hwy 128, Geyserville, CA 95441  

RSVP: To monica@rackandriddle.com by Friday, Oct. 17^th

 

Please accept our invitation to see Rack & Riddle's new winemaking facility in Alexander Valley, while meeting our winemaker Penny Gadd-Coster and other Rack & Riddle team members!

Penny Gadd-Coster, winner of "Winemaker of the Year" in the North Bay Business Journal's inaugural Wine Industry Awards, has garnered 14 Gold and Best of Class honors for Rack & Riddle's four varietals of bubbly in the past year alone! 

At our event, learn about Rack & Riddle's Sparkling Wine Club. Averaging only $50 per shipment for three bottles, three times per year, our members also get 25% off any wine or apparel purchase, plus much more!

Enjoy R&R bubbly paired with delicious hors d' oeuvres, plus a delightful Autumn themed champagne apple cider cocktail with recipe you can take home with you!

We hope to see you there!

Cheers,

        The Rack & Riddle Team 

 

HEALDSBURG, Calif., Dec. 9, 2014 – Rack & Riddle Custom Wine Services, one of the largest custom wine operations in Northern California, has announced the rollout of its five new non-vintage private label sparkling wine blends, which follows on the heels of the company’s major Sonoma County expansion. 

The five blends—Brut, Blanc de Noirs, Blanc de Blancs, Brut Rosé, and Moscato, are sparkling wines crafted in the traditional French method. These non-vintage blends are sourced from select North Coast and Sonoma County grapes. “These are smooth and refreshing sparkling wines made for everyday consumption as well as special occasions,” said Rack & Riddle Executive Director of Winemaking, Penny Gadd-Coster. “The beauty is they pair well with every food, and have an enduring shelf life.”

Rack & Riddle found its niche as one of the few custom crush winemaking facilities in the nation specializing in méthode champenoise sparkling wines. Rack & Riddle’s sparkling blends consistently garner Gold and Best of Class honors in major wine competitions throughout the United States.

“The traditional French sparkling winemaking method is a labor of love involving a second fermentation in the bottle—if you are as dedicated as we are about creating superior sparkling wines, the only way to make it is in this age-old, traditional method,” said Gadd-Coster, who was named  “Winemaker of the Year” in the Napa and Sonoma wine region by the Wine Industry Awards last December. “Our private label sparkling program unlocks the ability for restaurants, retailers or even individuals to create their own branded sparkling wine blend, without the overhead and investment in expensive production equipment and processes.”

Retailers are increasingly choosing to add sparkling wine to their portfolios as more and more consumers buy bubbly. The consumption of sparkling wine is projected to rise 8.52 percent worldwide between 2012 and 2016 due to increased demand in the top four sparkling wine markets: the United States, Germany, France, and Russia, according to the International Wine and Spirit Research (IWSR) consultancy.

Sparkling wine consumption rose 4.17 percent compared to the 2.72 percent increase seen in still wines from 2007 to 2011.

“Purchasing a private label sparkling wine allows businesses to capitalize on the popularity of sparkling wine while tapping into new brand concepts,” said Rack & Riddle General Manager Mark Garaventa. “Whether it’s a restaurant offering a customizable private label sparkling for wedding clients, a store offering a special blend for customer loyalty members, or a wine bar serving a holiday-themed label—the possibilities for branding are endless.”

Rack & Riddle customer Amy Kemp, co-proprietor of Loma Prieta Winery, wanted a high-quality sparkling wine that would complement the winery’s high-end Pinot Noirs and Pinotages. “After tasting through some of Rack & Riddle’s samples, we decided to privately label a lovely Blanc de Noirs,” said Kemp. “We’re almost sold out of it, and have ordered a new Blanc de Noirs sparkling with a Pinot Meuneir dosage, about which we’re very excited.”

With Rack & Riddle’s expansion in June 2014 to the booming wine country region of Healdsburg, Calif., the new location allows customers’ brand labels to state their business name or wine brand as being produced and bottled in Healdsburg. “The name ‘Healdsburg’ is another powerful marketing tool—it holds a lot of cache as a premium winemaking region in Sonoma County,” said Gadd-Coster. “It’s just another plus when crafting a customized bubbly that will drive the growth of your brand.”

 

ABOUT RACK & RIDDLE CUSTOM WINE SERVICES:
With a recent expansion to two new locations in Sonoma County, Rack & Riddle is proudly committed to providing pristine facilities where winemakers craft both still and sparkling wines. Rack & Riddle offers complete grape-to-bottle, base-to-bottle, and private label programs, and houses nearly 2 million gallons of stainless steel storage and fermentation vessels. An exceptional winemaking team produces over 1 million cases of wine annually. For more information, please visit www.rackandriddle.com.

 

For facility tour requests or more information, please contact:

 

Cynthia Faust

Business Development Manager – Rack & Riddle

707-433-8400                    

cynthia@rackandriddle.com

 

For interview and photo requests, please contact:

 

Elizabeth Nixon

Media Relations – Rack & Riddle

707-433-8400                    

elizabeth@rackandriddle.com

 

For sparkling wine samples, please contact:

Monica Smith

Business Development Associate – Rack & Riddle

707-433-8400    

monica@rackandriddle.com

See first-hand with the below infographic how Rack & Riddle’s private label and custom crush sparkling wines are crafted in the traditional method! Request sparkling wine samples or a quote in one click. Find out how easy it is to add private label sparkling wine to your portfolio!

Request a quote for privately labeled wine here. Request samples here.

Rack & Riddle’s Sparkling Private Label Program Includes:

â—†  Personal consultation with our winemakers to create your branded sparkling wine blend      
â—†  Wines produced by winemakers who consistently win GOLD MEDALS and BEST OF CLASS in the most prestigious tastings
â—†  Responsive service and streamlined order process: you provide us your labels and we ship within two weeks
â—†  Five méthode champenoise private label sparkling wines currently available: Brut, Rosé, Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs, and Moscato

Call or email Business Development Associate Monica Smith for sparkling wine pricing & availability: 707-433-8400

A segment on ABC aired over the weekend featuring Rack & Riddle Custom Wine Services! If you missed the show, you can check it out here: http://www.viddler.com/v/5066170

We had fun showing "Days with Zahrah" around the custom crush facility, plus visiting the Breathless tasting room, where our Executive Director of Winemaking Penny Gadd-Coster led us through an educational tasting of a flight of Breathless bubbly.

Rack & Riddle Custom Wine Services Offers Customizable Programs:

â—† Sparkling Private Label Program:
-Personal consultation with our winemakers to create your branded sparkling wine blend       
-Wines produced by winemakers who consistently win GOLD MEDALS and BEST OF CLASSin the most prestigious tastings
-Responsive service and streamlined order process: you provide us your labels and we ship within two weeks
-Four Méthode Champenoise private label sparkling wines available: Brut, Rosé, Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs

Call Business Development Associate Monica Smith for sparkling wine pricing & availability, or to request samples: 707-433-8400

â—† Base to Bottle or Grape to Bottle Sparkling Programs:
-Create a Méthode Champenoise sparkling from your base wine or grapes, with the guidance of our expert winemakers
-Rack & Riddle can tirage bottle, age, disgorge and then label your wine. Full service sparkling wine production ensures your wine is in the best of hands from start to finish
-Both Wet Glue or Pressure Sensitive labeling capabilities
-Your supplies or ours
-Custom dosage available
-Small or large lots

â—† Grape to Bottle Still Wine Programs & Bottling Contracts:
-Ship your base wine or grapes to us, and we'll work within your protocol to create an outstanding still wine!
-Customized bottling or labeling services, or any step in the winemaking process you may need!
-Stop by to see Rack & Riddle's state-of-the-art still winemaking equipment, featuring a new 140 BPM Bertolaso bottling line

Call General Manager Mark Garaventa or Business Development Manager Cynthia Faust to schedule a facility tour: 707-433-8400

â—† Rack & Riddle's two premier facilities in the heart of Sonoma wine country offer:
-Easy access locations in Healdsburg & Alexander Valley
-Full bottling services including new 140 BPM lines
-CCOF certified organic winemaking & production option
-Fully equipped laboratories including the following services:
Foss wine scan with So2
PH/TA auto titrator
UV-VIS spectrophotometer
Alcolyzer
DMA
Heat/cold stability analysis
Pre/post bottle micro plating

Don’t wait! Request a quote for your private label or custom crush project.

Request private label sparkling wine samples, or contact us: 707-433-8400

info@rackandriddle.com

Contact Rack & Riddle to Reserve Space for Your Sparkling Base-to-Bottle Project! (707) 433-8400 Or Request a Quote Online

Did you know that Rack & Riddle can produce premium, méthode champenoise sparkling wine from your base wine?

With the guidance of our expert winemakers, you can produce your own sparkling wine from base-to-bottle. Rack & Riddle can tirage bottle, age, disgorge and then label your wine. Full-service sparkling wine production ensures your wine is in the best of hands from start to finish.

If you're interested in our base-to-bottle services, please contact us right away to book your project; base wine is typically brought in to our facility around December or January, but reservations for space are happening through the summer!

Follow these tips from our Executive Director of Winemaking, Penny Gadd-Coster, to prep your base wine just right:

Tips for Picking:
•    Taste grapes in the vineyard for flavor profile
•    Pick at 17-20 Brix
•    pH 2.9 to 3.2
•    TA 0.9 to 1.2

Tips for Base Wine:
•    11% is the preferred alcohol percentage for the wine coming in.
•    We aim for the finished product to be in the 12.5% to 13% range.
•    3.1 pH is ideal, but it is adjustable if wine comes in at a lower or higher pH.

Wishing You a Wonderful Summer and a Happy Harvest!

The Rack & Riddle Team
Rack & Riddle Custom Wine Services

Rack & Riddle has space available this harvest for your still or sparkling custom crush projects!

REQUEST A QUOTE 

We would love to discuss your project. Email us or give us a call at 707-433-8400.

We have space available for your still or sparkling custom crush projects this harvest!

 

Sparkling wines produced at Rack & Riddle have won top awards for a host of brands, including: Best of Class, Double Gold, Gold, and Sweepstakes awards.

Director of Winemaking Penny Gadd-Coster leads a stellar team of six award-winning winemakers to help with your project. Our staff of more than 80 employees are experts in their specialties, from production to the cellar to compliance, and everything in between. Rack & Riddle's custom crush programs are truly customizable -- we can be as hands on or off as you like, offering more than 100 years of combined winemaking expertise in both still and sparkling winemaking. Let us follow your protocol to produce a world-class, award-winning wine!