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WINEMAKING TECHNOLOGY Custom Crush: The next generation Comment By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 10, 2015 at 4:38 PM Updated Aug 13, 2015 at 3:04 PM By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 10, 2015 at 4:38 PM Updated Aug 13, 2015 at 3:04 PM » Social News When high-quality grapes meet the latest in winemaking technology, premium vintages are a likely outcome. That's the vision the Naumes family — long associated with the Southern Oregon pear industry — has for its new venture, Naumes Custom Crush & Fermentation. When winemaker Chris Graves caught wind the Naumes family was plunging into wine production, he couldn't pass on the opportunity. "It's a game-changer," said Graves, an industry consultant in the region, who cut his winemaking teeth at California's Tamás Estates in Livermore and Ruby Hill Winery in Pleasanton. "The processing equipment, the capital they're investing into the winery, the techniques we can use are really sophisticated, high-end winemaking techniques that will allow us to make some of the best wines in Southern Oregon," Graves said. An open house is scheduled for 4-8 p.m. Thursday at the Naumes Custom Crush & Fermentation site, 1311 N. Central Ave., Medford, allowing vintners, wine connoisseurs, the manufacturing-minded and agriculture enthusiasts a close-up look at the German-built steel Scharfenberger processing equipment. When grapes are brought in, stems, bugs, under- or over-ripe fruit are all part of the mix, Graves said. "This technique cleans all of that stuff out, so you're left with a higher-quality fruit." The WECO optical fruit-sorting machine is something more likely seen in "highly funded" wineries in the Napa and Willamette valleys, he said. "It's pretty new to Southern Oregon to have this much capital going into a very sophisticated, high-end winemaking facility," Graves said. "Optical sorting can be as much as $250,000 per unit; this one is almost $100,000." Although much of Southern Oregon's grape harvest has historically found its way to Willamette Valley wineries, more and more acres are being planted. Grapes from Jackson, Josephine and Douglas counties that heretofore may have gone to other custom-crush houses will now flow to the Naumes facility. "There were something like 900 acres planted (in Southern Oregon) last year," he said. "Every year there are more and more plantings, and as those grapes come on line, those grapes need to find a home. As the bar is raised and better wines are out there — and better recognition for those wines — you are going to see increased sales." With its first season near at hand, Naumes has a handful of clients, including Irvine Vineyards of Ashland, whose pinot noir grapes fit the mold. Although Naumes has capacity to process 300 to 400 tons, Graves said the facility will be limited to 200 tons this year. "For good wine quality, it's important to stay under your capacity so that you have enough space and resources to get to your winemaking projects when you need to and don't overstuff yourself," he said. Graves expects to see the first batch of grapes arrive the last week of August, earlier than when the groundwork was laid for the first harvest. "We were expecting the first week of September, most likely the second week," he said. "In the last few months it speeded up quite a bit. I've got contract for some sauvignon blanc grown in Talent, and they like to pick that at 22, 23 brix." Brix is the measure of a grape's sweetness. He anticipates grapes to arrive into October. White wines will be bottled next spring, with red wines held up to two years before bottling. The Naumes family has planted 70 acres of pinot noir, chardonnay, pinot gris and grenache, with an eventual goal of 200 acres. For now, however, those grapes will go elsewhere for the next four or five years, Graves said. Graves said the caliber of grower has improved dramatically in the past decade as expertise has expanded beyond the hobby vintner. "If we're looking at 10 years ago, it might have been more miss than hit," Graves said. "There was a lot of mom-and-pop farming and having fun with it, but not bringing the level of professionalism that's required — that usually means money, lots and lots of money to farm really good wine grapes." Willamette Valley vintner Robert Brittan of Brittan Vineyards outside McMinnville helped the Naumes family plan the facility. "We saw the need for a crush facility as rapidly as the industry is growing," said Laura Naumes, chief operating officer and vice president of parent company Naumes Inc. She said there are similarities and differences between pear and grape production. "With fruit you process it to some degree or somehow, and then you have sales of the product," Naumes said. "You're changing grapes to wine, and changing that fruit is different. But we're also in the fruit concentrate business and have been in that for many years, so we're used to processing fruit." Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 541-776-4463 or [email protected] . Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GregMTBusiness , on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/greg.stiles.31 , and read his blog at www.mailtribune.com/EconomicEdge By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 10, 2015 at 4:38 PM Updated Aug 13, 2015 at 3:04 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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