Community Crush

CWC’s mission is to provide services to winemakers that help build their business. Whether it’s a start-to-finish, holistic service or piecemeal, with a la carte services that range from wine analysis to vineyard management to business consultation, CWC will support winemakers’ goals to craft the wine that they envision.

With decades of collective experience in the industry, the leaders of CWC are ready to take on any challenge to create positive benefits for their clients.Tim and Ben, raised in Virginia in a family that grows grapes, took different paths to get to this point . While Ben embarked on his winemaking journey in California in the early 2000’s, he returned to Virginia to work with the locally well-known Michael Shaps before overseeing winemaking and the vineyards at the award-winning Early Mountain Vineyards.

Meanwhile, Tim earned a doctorate degree from Virginia Tech in entomology, which focused on insects related to grape vines, and utilized that knowledge to consult for a number of grape growers throughout the commonwealth. At the same time, he worked to help produce wine at esteemed Virginia vineyards like Grace Estate Winery and Barren Ridge.

Eagen started his career in the wine industry early, marketing as an intern in his senior year of college. Since then, he joined Early Mountain Vineyard (where he initially met Ben), exploring winemaking and overseeing sales and distribution strategy.

The powerhouse trio ultimately decided that they wanted to make a new, meaningful contribution to the winemaking community in Virginia by providing a space for new winemakers to begin and for more seasoned makers to collaborate as well.

“Our founding team has worked in Virginia wine for collectively over 30 years and is passionate about contributing to the continued positive trajectory of the industry,” said Eagan.

The team has set up its operations in the historic Virginia Metalcrafters building in Waynesboro. The building, once known for being where makers of the time crafted by hand, is now being reimagined to house crafters of a different style. Basic City Brewing started out by expanding into the space and through conversations were later joined by CWC. A coffee roaster will be on site, and a portion of the space will be dedicated to hosting concerts, too.

“We’re all very true to the long history of what Metalcrafters has been. Craftspeople have come there to make with their hands. We’re carrying on that tradition in a different way,” said Eagan.

This harvest season, CWC will be producing wine for 12 Ridges Vineyard, Star Party, Dogwood & Thistle, Seven Lady Vineyards, Lightwell Survey, Midland, Stinson Vineyards and Ankida Ridge Vineyards, and they’re enthusiastic about adding more as they continue to grow the operation. The 15,000 square feet of wine production and storage allows for plenty of room to grow.

In addition, CWC plans to open a tasting room by this summer. While they have their own label, others will be showcased as well in a comfortable, stylish space. Newcomer to the team Lee Campbell, whom the team knows well and who was recruited after time spent working with food and wine in New York, will head the tasting room and act as General Manager.

“[Lee] decided to become an early investor in CWC, which eventually led to her joining the team full time, a decision which initiated her triumphant and long-awaited return to central Virginia,” said Eagan.