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8910 Sonoma Highway 12
Kenwood, CA 95452
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21684 8th Street East, Suite 460
Sonoma, CA 95476

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Sonoma, CA 95476

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The Tradition of Ty Caton Wine Futures

The Tradition of Ty Caton Wine Futures
September 14, 2021 Ty Caton

Each year at Ty Caton, our customers enjoy an opportunity to purchase wine futures at our Annual Barrel Tasting Event, held every October. Offering wine futures, traditionally known as en primeur, is the purchasing of wines that are still in barrels before they’re bottled and released. This year our annual Barrel Tasting event will be held on Saturday, October 7th at the Sonoma winery. Our virtual sale will be live October 8th through the 15th, where we will continue our tradition of offering futures to our customers.

Ty Caton Annual Barrel Tasting Ty Caton Wine Barrels

What Makes Wine Futures Special

As a consumer, purchasing futures can be highly exciting – even more exciting if you do so from reputable and consistent producers like Ty Caton.  There are a few benefits to purchasing futures:

  • Consumers get first access to wines of limited quantities, especially in favorable vintages.
  • Consumers can purchase wines at the best price, increasing their value.
  • It’s an opportunity to invest in your favorite wineries, helping to fund harvests and operational costs.
  • Buying wines en primeur ensures your wines arrive in the best possible condition! They’ve been stored in cool cellars and shipped directly to you, reducing exposure to the elements and improper storage.

During our Futures Sale, we’ll be offering case purchases discounts of our 2022 vintage red wines and our 2023 Rosé (you can mix and match!). To learn more about the 2022 vintage and the wines we are crafting, as well as news about the event, make sure you’re subscribed to our mailing list.

 

The History of En Primeur

The tradition of buying futures dates back to at least 58 A.D., where every grape from the vineyard was purchased while still on the vine. This practice gained traction in the 18th century. When trade relations resumed between Britain and France after one of their many wars, the British came up with the idea of buying French wine en primeur to finance wine production in France. French wine producers received advance payment to fund their harvests and cover operational costs and the British ensured they’d have French wine to drink.

This tradition continued for centuries in Bordeaux Рeven Thomas Jefferson participated in it! In the spring following harvest, wines were tasted out of the barrel and given a preliminary score that influences the en primeur price. The wines were first offered to courtiers, or brokers, who took a small percentage, and then to n̩gociants, or shippers, who then set a new price for the wines. Today, the practice of purchasing futures has become popular in the Napa Valley, the Rh̫ne Valley, Burgundy, and Italy. In Napa, wineries offer futures direct-to-consumer instead of going through courtiers and n̩gociants.

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  1. […] Team Ty invites you to the 13th annual barrel tasting event for a special opportunity to taste the newest Ty Caton wines directly from the barrel! Sample pre-release wines from the 2020 vintage, enjoy delicious food, music and even better company. Pre-order 2020 Futures at 50% off by the case. Learn more about our tradition of wine futures.  […]

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