Debra Borchardt
The Napa Valley-based House of Saka has launched its first luxury line of cannabis-infused wines. These wines don’t have any alcohol in them, but they do have THC and CBD derived from organic craft cannabis. The first releases include a still Rose and a Sparkling Brut Rose, just in time for the holidays.
The wines are Pinot Noir-based and are sourced from the famous Napa Valley in California. The process to make the Saka wines starts out like any other wine with the fermentation stage, but then the alcohol is “gently remove” and then infused with the Saka proprietary ratio of THC:CBD.
The company was by and for women with the goal to reach women seeking luxury-infused relaxation.
“After almost 30 years of spearheading innovation in the adult beverage space and working with some of the most recognized wine and spirit brands in the world, I am confident that cannabis-infused products are the future,” said Saka CEO Tracey Mason. “What the sector lacks are true luxury products targeted to a sophisticated female consumer. That’s what we’re singularly focused on delivering: Infused Luxury by and for Women.”
Saka Wines will be available for purchase beginning in the first quarter of 2019 and are expected to be in 600 stores in California and Nevada.
“Weed-infused wine is not a new idea for Californian vintners. Certain California winemakers have made it since medical marijuana was legalized, some longer. They were usually low key about it. Most of what was made was shared with family and friends. Nowadays, the industry is booming, with the Sonoma County being a hotbed of weed wine experimentation,” said The California Winery Advisor. “Historians tell us that an Eastern Han Dynasty surgeon by the name of Hua Tuo (or Hua-t’o), used wine infused with cannabis resin as an anesthetic. Sadly, we don’t know the exact recipe.”
“The concept for this brand began 5 years ago and it was all about the right team and timing to launch the best tasting cannabis-infused wine in existence,” said Cynthia Salarizdeh, the Founder of Saka Wines. “With regulations and infrastructure mature enough to bring the brand to life, I knew it was the perfect time.”
