Stave & Steel today announced the national launch of its inaugural wine, a 100% bourbon barrel-aged Cabernet Sauvignon. Created to celebrate and honor the American heritage of innovation and craftsmanship, Stave & Steel will retail for $21.
Winemaker James Foster used an innovative three-part winemaking process, starting with American oak barrels that were toasted, charred and drenched in Kentucky bourbon. He then sourced most of the grapes for this blend from some of California’s best growing regions on the Central Coast, and aged the premium Cabernet Sauvignon in the barrels for four months. This process infused subtle characteristics of bourbon into each barrel of Cabernet Sauvignon, resulting in a smooth, full-bodied wine with bold fruit flavors of dark cherry, blackberry and plum, and influences of vanilla, caramel and spice.
The national debut of Stave & Steel will introduce wine drinkers to a new frontier in winemaking tradition. “When we set out to make this wine, progress was top of mind for us,” said Foster. “I value the wisdom gained from many years of winemaking tradition, but I love pushing the envelope, experimenting and innovating with wine, and that’s exactly what I’ve been able to do with Stave & Steel – this is winemaking, reinvented.”