to know.
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The next thing you need to do is pay your wine deposit (Bart has provided a code that will allow you to pay just 50% up front, if you desire) through Bartholomew Winery using the link on the Next Steps page — this must be completed within 10 calendar days of your CoVintner purchase or your registration will be cancelled automatically. If you do opt for only paying 50% up front, the remaining 50% balance is due at pickup during the Release Party.
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After you complete your purchase, we will send you a confirmation email for the session you selected. If you need to opt for a date that is different from the one you originally chose at checkout, please contact us as soon as possible at info@covintner.com
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All Founding Circle Barrel 1 blending sessions are held at Bartholomew Winery located at Columbia Gardens Artisan Village in Kennewick, WA. Sessions run approximately 2 hours. Parking is available on site — details included in your confirmation email.
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Just yourself and your curiosity. No wine expertise required. We recommend eating beforehand — tasting on an empty stomach affects your palate. Water will be available throughout the session.
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You'll get your hands in the process from the start. Bart and his team will introduce the finalist components, then you'll mix and adjust ratios in your own glass — experimenting with the blend until it tastes right to you. Your sensory feedback and the ratios you land on directly inform the final blend direction. After tasting and experimenting, you'll cast your vote. The session is conversational and guided the whole way — you're never expected to know anything going in. Just taste, play, and tell us what you think.
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Approximately 2 hours.
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Yes — you're welcome to bring a +1 to both your blending session and the Release Party. Your guest will be there to enjoy the experience alongside you and may participate in the tasting if they are 21 years of age or older. Note that each voting seat requires its own CoVintner registration and wine allocation purchase — if your guest wants to cast their own vote and receive their own personalized label, they'll need to register separately.
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Contact us as soon as possible and we'll do our best to move you to another available slot before the final session date. We can't guarantee availability, so please reach out early.
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Proxy attendance — where someone attends and votes on your behalf — is available but requires advance approval at least 3 days before May 2. Contact us early if you think this may be necessary. Your proxy must be someone you trust to make a wine decision on your behalf, and their vote is final.
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Yes, parking is available on site. Specific details will be included in your session confirmation email.
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Please contact us as soon as you know — we'll do our best to accommodate. Sessions run on a set schedule so arriving significantly late may limit your tasting time.
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After tasting the finalist blends, you'll receive a unique voting link sent to the email on your CoVintner account. You cast your vote through that link during the session. The link is tied to your registration so each seat gets exactly one vote per voting window.
In the event the link doesn’t work or you cannot access it, we will have a physical voting method available for you at the tasting room.
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No — votes are final once submitted. Take your time during the tasting before you decide.
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It depends on your tier. Member: 1 vote. Contributor: 2 votes. Steward: 3 votes. Architect: 4 votes. Multiple votes can be cast for the same option or split across options — your call.
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The final vote deadline is May 2. All sessions will be complete by that date. Results are communicated to all participants on May 5.
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Yes. On May 5, all registered participants receive a results communication explaining what won, the margin, and what it means for the final blend direction. You'll know exactly how your vote contributed.
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The result reflects the collective vote of all participants — that's the co-creation model. The winning direction will be communicated with full context about why, and Bart will share what the result means for the wine you'll be releasing together.
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Bartholomew Winery is the licensed Seller of Record for all alcohol sales — this is a legal compliance requirement, not a convenience choice. CoVintner handles the experience and co-creation platform; the winery handles the wine transaction. The two purchases are separate by design. Bartholomew provides a URL to you that is unique to CoVintner and your tier level. He is offering a split payment structure if you desire: 50% deposit is due within 10 days to verify your allocation, and the remaining 50% is collected at pickup during the Release Party. You just need to use the code we provide you after joining CoVintner.
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Once you join the Founding Circle Collective, the link is on your Next Steps page in the Member’s site under Step 2. Select the button that matches your tier — 6, 12, 18, or 24 bottles.
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Approximately $30 per bottle, set by Bartholomew Winery. This is the winery's pricing and is separate from your CoVintner participation fee.
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It depends on your preference.
Bartholomew Winery is offering a split payment structure for CoVintner Founding Circle if you want to use it.
If you want pay 50% of your wine allocation cost at the time of purchase, and the remaining 50% is due at pickup during the Release Party, then use the code we provide you at checkout with Bartholomew Winery.
The deposit or full payment (depending on your choice) is what triggers your verification and reserves your allocation. If you opt for the 50% deposit, the balance is collected on-site when you pick up your bottles.
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Your CoVintner registration will be cancelled and your CoVintner participation fee will be refunded automatically. The 10-day window applies to your 50% wine deposit only — the remaining 50% isn't due until pickup. If you're having trouble completing the deposit before the deadline, contact us immediately — don't wait.
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It means Bartholomew Winery has confirmed your deposit or full payment on their end and that confirmation has been passed to CoVintner. If you complete your deposit but haven't received a verification confirmation within a few days, contact us so we can check on it manually.
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Your bottle allocation is set by your tier. If you'd like additional bottles, contact us. Depending on availability we are happy to work with Bartholomew Winery to see if we may be able to accommodate, but this is not guaranteed.
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After voting closes and the winning blend direction is confirmed, you'll receive a personalization link by email along with a submission deadline. You'll enter your label text through that link — it does not happen at the session.
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Labels are subject to final approval. Not permitted: profanity, hate speech or harassment, explicit sexual content, illegal content, or trademark/copyright infringement. Most personal names, phrases, dedications, and creative expressions are fine. When in doubt, submit it and we'll let you know.
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We'll contact you and give you the opportunity to resubmit within the deadline window. If a revised submission isn't received in time, your label will default to a standard CoVintner Founding Circle label.
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Label proof details will be communicated when the personalization link is sent. We'll include specifics on what the approval process looks like at that stage.
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Yes — all bottles in your allocation receive the same personalized label.
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The back label is standardized for all bottles in your allocation — this is a Washington State compliance requirement, not a design choice. The back label must include specific regulatory information (vintage, varietal, producer details) and any change to that information requires filing a new SKU with the state, which isn't feasible for a personalized-label model. Everything you want to make personal — your name, a title, a dedication, an image — goes on the front label, which is entirely yours.
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Yes, and this is one of the most popular things people do with their allocation. As long as the text meets our content guidelines — no profanity, hate speech, explicit content, or trademark infringement — you can put a personal dedication, a gift message, a name, or any creative expression on your front label. Six bottles with "Merry Christmas from the Smiths" and a wine you helped choose is a gift that's hard to top. If you're planning to use your allocation for gifting, just make sure to submit your label personalization by the stated deadline so production stays on schedule.
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You'll have both options. CoVintner will provide a template with your personalization link — it gives you a starting point with the label dimensions, font suggestions, and placement guides already set up. You can customize from there or upload your own design entirely if you prefer to start from scratch. The template is there to make it easy, not to limit you. More details on the design process will be included when your personalization link is sent.
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Right now, we are planning for the Release Party to be held on July 25, 2026, at Bartholomew Winery at Columbia Wine Gardens in Kennewick, WA. Event details will be confirmed and communicated to all registered participants closer to the date.
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The Release Party is your first chance to taste the final wine — the one the collective voted into existence. There'll be a founder toast, a recap of the season story, a guided tasting of the final blend, label reveals, and bottle pickup. It's the payoff for everything that came before.
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Yes, you're welcome to bring a +1 at no additional charge. If you'd like to bring a larger group, contact us in advance so we can accommodate.
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If you can't make it, we'll arrange an alternative pickup for your bottle allocation. Contact us before the event so we can plan accordingly.
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Yes — bottle pickup happens at the Release Party. If you indicated a shipping preference during scheduling intake, shipping logistics will be communicated separately closer to the date, subject to your state's direct-to-consumer wine shipping laws.
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The CoVintner fee is refundable within 24 hours of purchase only, and only if no custom materials have been ordered or benefits used. After 24 hours or first use, it is non-refundable except where required by law.
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In the unlikely event that a session is cancelled by CoVintner, affected participants will be offered either a reschedule or a full refund of their CoVintner participation fee.
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Your wine allocation is purchased directly through Bartholomew Winery and is subject to their refund and cancellation policies. Contact Bart directly at bart@bart.wine for questions about your deposit or any changes to your allocation.
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Season 26 is CoVintner's first full co-creation season — a longer-form experience running either 9 months (Whites) or 12 months (Reds) with quarterly in-person events, multiple structured vote windows, monthly async content, and a release celebration. Founding Circle Barrel 1 participants get early access and an upgrade bonus when Season 26 registration opens.
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No, but we’re making it pretty easy to get access — Founding Season 26 requires a separate registration. As a Founding Circle participant you'll receive early access notification and an upgrade bonus credit before registration opens to the public. Join the interest list on the Season 26 pages if you haven't already.
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Founding Circle participants who register early for Season 26 (before the release party) receive a bonus credit on top of their tier-based credit: +$25 for 6–12 bottle purchasers, +$50 for 18–24 bottle purchasers. The bonus is stackable with your tier credit and expires midnight PST of the same day as the release party.