(TheDrinksBusiness) - Dozens of Napa Valley’s winemakers gathered this month at the Rudd Centre at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone for the first of The Winemakers Tasting, an event in response to this curious group’s desire to see what vinous innovations and experimentations are happening in wine cellars around the valley today.

The Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) created this event in partnership with Cooperages 1912, a fourth generation, family-owned barrel company. Jason Stout of Cooperages 1912 explained that organisers first formed an advisory board of winemakers last summer and put out a call to NVV member wineries seeking cellar experiments they were willing to share.

In came dozens of trials including the expected yeast and oak treatments, but also whole versus crushed berry, hand versus machine-picked fruit, lees stirred Cabernet Sauvignon, and barrels treated with water prior to fill.