Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/534849
w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m J u l y - A u g 2 015 | V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T 7 1 Among the benefits of cus- tom crushing, he said, is the lack of fixed overhead. "I can invest in people for sales instead of produc- tion. There's also less record-keep- ing and more labor resources to get work done." Without custom crush, Goldschmidt said, "I would never be able to have the tank size flexibility and the ability to bring in as many tons as I do." There are many types of custom crush operations, from those that provide only the facility and labor, Alison Crowe, Plata's director of winemaking, leads a team that works with clients up and down the state. Because every vintner's project is different, custom crush winemakers must be incredibly versatile. "Your typical custom crush winemaker is a virtuoso of multiple styles, varietals and tech- niques," she said. "They see fruit in great condition, some fruit in not-so-great condition, and have to do their best to make a chal- lenging situation work. Because t h e y ' r e w o r k i n g f o r s o m e o n e else who may be the face of the brand, their efforts aren't always acknowledged by critics and the public." LEVEL OF INPUT Just as there are different types of custom crush operations, each provider has its own protocol when it comes to client input. "At some places, there's no input allowed from the client," noted John Tierney, general man- ager at Owl Ridge Wines in Sebas- topol, Calif. "We go the other direction completely; in our con- tract we state that the client and/or their consultant is the winemaker of record." Tierney was an original founder of Taft Street Winery in Sonoma to full-service companies that can manage clients' projects from start to finish. One example of a full-service provider is Plata Wine Partners in Napa, Calif., which handles projects from vineyard to bottle. The compa- ny has access to more than 25,000 acres of California wine grapes and works with facilities around the state. It also has in-house design and packaging teams, and can help with everything from brand devel- opment to warehouse logistics. Winemaking consultant Nick Gold- schmidt custom crushes in four countries. Alison Crowe of Plata Wine Partners manages a team of winemakers that works with clients across California. Small-Lot Custom Winemaking Services • All inclusive services from crushing to bottling • Specializing in small lots, as little as one barrel. Can scale upwards • Grape sourcing available • State of the art winery conveniently located on the Silverado Trail, Napa Valley • Small lot custom blending options available "THE place for custom crush winemaking in Napa Valley" - Food and Wine Magazine 2332 Silverado Trail Napa, CA 94558 · 707-255-2332 · microcrush@napamicrocrush.com · www.napamicrocrush.com