Wine Share

Small-batch craft winemaking is great to save money on wine, but sometimes you don't need a full 23-litre batch.

Wine Share is great for:

  • Trying small-batch craft winemaking for the first time. If you're new to all this, you can use Wine Share to try out on-premise wine services for a low price.
  • Trying new styles!
  • Getting a greater variety in your wine rack!
  • Getting a few bottles of a specialty wine that you know you won't need a lot of.

A wine share is one fifth of a standard 23-litre batch. That is six 750mL bottles, or one 4.5-litre bag-in-a-box.

The price of a share varies depending on the style of wine.

Because you are sharing a batch with others, and to comply with NS liquor regulations, Wine Share has some limitations compared to our typical on-premise winemaking services:

  • No flexibility with starting and bottling dates. The dates are set at the start of each share, and can't be changed. With normal on-premise services, you can drop in at any time to start a wine, and you can schedule your packaging date at your convenience. 
  • The bulk savings are not as good. With normal on-premise services, you save up to 70% compared to liquor store prices! That being said, Wine Share prices are usually still better than liquor store prices.
  • No customizability -- the wine is the wine. With normal on-premise services, almost any element of your wine can be adjusted, include sweetness, alcohol levels, oaking, personalized labels, and more.

How it works

Find a wine that you'd like to try, and purchase a share. Note the two dates described on the Wine Share page. On the first date, you'll need to briefly stop by the winery to sprinkle yeast on the wine and sign a ferment-on-premises agreement. This is necessary to comply with the NS Liquor Control Act.

From there, we'll do the work of making your wine.

Once the wine is made, you and your fellow wine share owners will return to the winery to package your share on the second date and take it home to enjoy.

Packaging

You have two options for packaging: one 4.5-litre bag-in-a-box, or six 750mL bottles.

The bag-in-a-box is exactly like the boxes at the liquor store, except a little bigger. The unopened shelf life is one year. The opened shelf life is 6 weeks or more.

The bottle option includes six glass 750mL bottles, complete with corks, labels, and foil tops. This is a better option for aging. Wine is good for a year or more in a bottle.

At this time, we are not offering the option of filling your own bags or bottles from home. It's a lot of work coordinating five people for a batch of wine, and we're doing everything we can to simplify the process so that it's a smooth and pleasant experience for everyone involved. Thanks for your understanding.

Scheduling

Every Wine Share offer shows two dates. You need to be here for both.

The first date is when you stop by the winery to sprinkle the yeast that starts the fermentation, and fill out a little paperwork. This takes about five minutes.

The second date is when you stop by to package your wine and take it home. This takes around 15-25 minutes.

Due to NS liquor regulations, you are required to be present for both of those dates in order to receive your share.

Terms & Conditions

The Wine Share only moves forward if at least 4 out of 5 shares are purchased. You'll receive email confirmation once it's a sure thing. If fewer than 4 out of 5 shares remain with 48 hours left to go, the Wine Share will be cancelled. In that instance, you will be notified by email and promptly refunded.

Once the Wine Share is going ahead, shares are non-refundable.

Your physical presence is required at the winery for both of the times/dates described on the share. This is due to NS liquor regulations. We cannot offer refunds or reschedulings for wine shares for any reason.