Sip Northwest, Summer 2014
SIPNORTHWEST COM PART TIME WINE Michael Claypool of CLAY PIGEON WINERY was working full time in Manhattan for a digital branding agency while also systematically trying all the di erent jobs in wine I wanted to see if one of them really resonated he says He began selling wine on evenings and weekends at the respected Astor Wines Spirits in Greenwich Village This led to a sommelier position at the revered Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Westchester then a gig working the 2005 harvest in Sonoma where he caught the winemaking bug I started thinking how could I do this where could I do this he says He and his wife Sasha Davies a cheese expert and author moved in 2008 to Portland where he began making wine out of their garage By happenstance he found out from his neighbor Jan Marc a fellow garagiste that Oregon allows you to license your garage for wine sales Next thing you know we got licensed says Claypool Around the same time the couple found a building in Southeast CLAY PIGEON WINERY Portland where Davies could run a cheese shop and cafe and he could launch a small urban winery His advice to others is to start small and build a market slowly If your state allows it get your garage licensed Sell your wine direct to friends and family Try and get the wine into a few restaurants and shops Start a wine club Then its not as risk driven when you scale up says Claypool There are very established paths that people follow says Claypool who still works full time in digital marketing And its easy to think there is only one way you can get into wine But Claypool sees a new breed of winemakers and places himself in that category The people who were scientists engineers teachers pizza parlor owners who wanted something more the mystery the conviviality the poetry that wine o ers And part of my advice is thats ne says Claypool And why not You dont have to be an expert to begin You just need the courage
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