Not Yet Named Wine Co.

How do you make your dream come true? Simple… think outside the box and make your dream a reality. That’s what Alex Brogan and Manuel Cerdeira of Not Yet Named Wine Co. did. I met Alex through a mutual friend at the London Wine Fair and recently, I have the privilege of interviewing him. Their journey and story of hope fascinated me.

Two young students created Not Yet Named Wine Co. during their studies at Plumpton Viticulture and Oenology University in England. Each of them had a winemaking dream. Alex caught the winemaking bug after working two harvests. The first at La Despensa in Chile and the other at Chateau Biac in Bordeaux. It was then that he considered making custom wines for people, with a long term idea to open an urban winery. Manuel comes from a winemaking family in Portugal but wanted to branch out and make his own wine in his style. Like any new venture, they needed funding in order to start their endeavor. However the challenge was securing funding while they were students. It was then that they came up with a rare approach. They structured their winemaking process so that each member gets a vote in the winemaking process. The winemakers decide on the two or three best options before the vote is cast by the members. The options are decided upon by the winemakers and are always inline with their wine vision and style. This promotes a sense of involvement and as Alex put it, “be entertained along the way”. A lovely added touch is the members voted to have a label with everybody’s name on it, giving them sense of ownership and involvement in the community minded endeavor. They never dreamed that two, soon to be three, releases later they would have created such a tightly knit wine loving community and the success that followed.

How does their system work? Every member purchases 6 bottles which entitles them to 1 vote. Their editions are released every six months, alternating from the northern to southern hemisphere. That enables them to fully take advantage of 2 harvests per year and keep the wine flowing for their members. Paying for the releases up front removes some of the pressure from the winemakers and the member ownership and voting ability helps give members entertainment value whilst they wait for the wine to be made, which can take anything from 1 to 3 years. By selling their vision they have set in motion a system that will enable funds to be available for the following harvest. Keep in mind they operate on a small scale, 600 bottles for the first edition. Again, their wines are made through a democratic system, with their members votes dictating the style of the wine. The quality remains in the hands of the winemaking professionals.

Their first release was in partnership with Manuel’s family estate, Quinta De Soalheiro a sustainable winery located in Melgaço, Portugal. They made a 100% Alvarhino released in October 2022. It was a great success that grew organically from friends and family to 600 bottles for the release. As part of the member experience, all members were invited to visit the winery, 25 of them travelled to see where their wine comes from, partake in blending trials and pick the blend. It's important for Alex and Manuel for their wineries to offer experiences beyond the wine. In order to keep the momentum going for the second release, they focused on the southern hemisphere. They wanted to make a red blend to be released in time for the holiday season. Alex reached out to his friends in Chile led to a partnership with La Despensa.

The second edition, released in March 2023, led them to La Despensa Boutique, a solar powered organic winery in Colchagua, Chile. The second release grew to customers. Alex had partaken in a harvest at La Despensa and asked if they could partner with them to make a red wine. The wine world is all about relationships, trust, the bonds that are created over a shared passion. Their release is a red blend composed of 62% Syrah, 23% Grenache, 15% Cinsault.

The third edition also stemmed from one of Alex’s friends who is in the wine industry. The assistant winemaker of Darcie Kent wanted to experience a harvest in Bordeaux. Alex immediately put him in contact with Chateau Biac where he had also participated in a harvest. That left an opening for Alex and Manuel for a potential third release partner. This partnership is a winery named Darcie Kent Vineyards in Livermore, California, USA. Alex had met their assistant winemaker while in Chile. At the time, he said that he wanted to do a harvest in Bordeaux. Naturally Alex put him in touch with some people and got a job. That left his job free at Darcie Kent. It was a new region to discover for both Alex and Manuel. When they choose a partner, it is not just about the winery location, but the entire experience for them and their members. As an example, Darcie Kent has a sister winery called Almost Famous musical theater productions which would provide an experience beyond the wine.

For their next winemaking adventure after California, they are hoping to partner with a winery in Stellenbosch, South Africa. They think Blank Bottle Winery would be a great fit as there ethos is similar to Not Yet Named Wine Co., they has a wide variety of grapes which allows for flexibility, creativity and experimenting.

The California edition is available for sale now! Sign up to be involved in this educational and entertaining experience with 6 bottles of your own democratic delivered once ready. Voting will begin at the end of August.

$300 or £240 for 6 bottles

Edition #3 California, USA (US purchases)

Edition #3, California, USA (UK purchases)

Shipping availble to AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, IL, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, TX, VA, and WA.

Summary of releases:

First edition: Quinta de Soalheiro, Melgaço, Portugal, September 2022 - Alvarinho

Second edition - La Despensa Boutique in Colchagua, Chile, March 2023

Third edition: Darcie Kent Vineyards in Livermore, California, USA

I asked Alex whether he has any advice for future oenologist, winemakers? Don’t follow the usual path of following someone else, do things yourself. Learn from previous experiences and grow from your mistakes. Alex indicated that prior to his studies, in 2019 and 2020 he bought grapes from Puglia and made wine in his flat. The 2019 was terrible! The volatile acid from the first vintage left a sensory imprint on him that will never leave. “I made so many mistakes with my first homemade wine. I learned so much through these experiences that those lessons left an imprint on me I will never forget.”

Entrepreneurial in their way of thinking, passion driven in order to realize their dreams, I look forward to following their wine journey.