Berkeley, CA (PRWEB) August 22, 2008 -- A Donkey and Goat winery (http://www.adonkeyandgoat.com), a wife and husband-owned winery producing sustainably crafted artisanal wines, is using Twitter to give people a chance to follow the winemakers as they embark on the fall harvest. Now for the first time, Twitter users can become virtual winemakers by following everything from the picking of grapes, to the crush, fermentation, pressing, and finally barreling down the wine. Anyone who follows A Donkey and Goat Winery on Twitter (http://twitter.com/donkeyandgoat) will also have the chance to be invited to its urban winery in Berkeley, CA to help stomp grapes.
"My goal is to make people feel like they're a part of the harvest process by constantly tweeting about what we're doing," explained Jared Brandt, A Donkey and Goat co-owner and co-winemaker. "The harvest is the most fun and exciting time for a winemaker. Using Twitter is a perfect way to bring people in on the action; the next best thing to a wine-focused reality show."
Up until now, wine makers and enthusiasts have been using Twitter in a basic way: linking to commerce sites and posting tasting notes. A Donkey and Goat winery is raising the bar by taking Twitter users on a daily adventure complete with the successes and pitfalls of making natural wine. Jared also plans to post pictures and videos of the action, so followers can click through the Tweets and see the harvest process in greater detail.
"We want our winery to mirror the social media aspects of Twitter; creating, sharing, and communicating ideas with people. The more we share about our winemaking practices, the more knowledge we stand to gain," continued Jared.
A Donkey and Goat's first harvest begins this Saturday, August 22 with the picking of Chardonnay grapes from the Brosseau Vineyard in the Chalone Appellation near Monterrey. Email stomper@adonkeyandgoat.com to have the chance to be invited to crush grapes that afternoon at their winery located at 2323B Fourth St., Berkeley, CA 94710.
About A Donkey and Goat Winery
A Donkey and Goat is a Berkeley, California based urban winery that specializes in natural winemaking for their Chardonnay and Rhône varietal wines. These distinctive, soulful wines are produced using France's classic, labor intensive techniques, such as adding "verjus" (unripe grapes) to acidify their Chardonnay, and never using cultivated yeasts, enzymes, nutrients, or color enhancers. Current fall releases include the 2007 Tamarindo Roussanne, the 2006 Fenaughty Vineyard Syrah, the 2006 Vieilles Vignes Vineyard Syrah, and the 2005 Brosseau Vineyard Reserve Syrah. The winery was founded in 2003 by husband and wife team Tracey and Jared Brandt who are the "donkey and goat" behind these sustainably farmed and artfully produced wines. Learn more about A Donkey and Goat on their blog at http://www.adonkeyandgoat.com/Blog_2008.html. Follow A Donkey and Goat on Twitter at http://twitter.com/donkeyandgoat (@donkeyandgoat).