Messy End at Crushpad

The assets of the innovative custom-crush and micro-winery Crushpad were sold this week, but clients remain confused about the state of their purchases. Crushpad, the Sonoma, Calif.-based company that offered clients the opportunity to purchase wine and utilize the company's facilities and expertise on an ongoing basis until it was ready, has been rumored to be in trouble for some time. CORKZILLA has been following the state of Crushpad for some time due to its interesting business model (more interesting when it was located in San Francisco), but it appears the company was a victim of several factors that led to its undoing, including the volatile economy. The sale of assets has left many clients wondering about how to get their wine investments back, according to the report in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. In the aftermath, the Bordeaux operations formerly owned by Crushpad, was said to be interested in stepping in to help Crushpad's U.S. clients, according to Decanter magazine.