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Pears out, grapes in Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Jack Day and 10 cousins who own historic Hillcrest Orchard plan to replace up to 80 acres of pear trees with vineyards in an effort to adjust to market conditions. The orchard in east Medford has been in the family since 1908. After 94 years, Hillcrest Orchard plans to make transition to a winery By DAMIAN MANN One of Jackson County's oldest pear producers, historic Hillcrest Orchard, will soon graft "Foothill Winery" onto its fruit-stand shingle. "The orchards will be going out and the vineyards will be coming in," said Medford resident Jack Day, who along with 10 cousins owns the 250-acre farm at the foothills of Roxy Ann. By spring, Day hopes to start a 6,000-square-foot production facility that will be ready for the fall crush in preparation for the first wines under the Foothill label. An old packing house, once used to package gift pears, will be converted to a storage area with 200 French oak barrels. Hillcrest, started in 1908 by Day's grandfather, Reginald Parsons, was one of the first in Southern Oregon to prepare gift packs, a marketing strategy now dominated by Bear Creek Corp. At present, 15 acres of Hillcrest property is planted in grapes, but Day hopes to increase that to as many as 80 acres in the coming years, depending on market conditions. Vines bearing grapes such as cabernet sauvignon, merlot, petite syrah and cabernet franc will produce premium red wines costing about $20 a bottle, Day said. Pear trees, which once covered the property and will still be a part of the operation, are now grown on 150 acres. The 1908 barn will become a wine-tasting room while continuing to offer gift packs featuring pears and other produce. Day's family plans to invest about $400,000 this year for the new facility and production equipment to produce 12,000 cases of wine annually. The shift to wine is a matter of economics as Hillcrest has found pears less and less profitable. "We are trying to adjust to different market conditions," Day said. While orchards will remain a part of the business, Day said, Hillcrest will begin phasing in more and more vineyards each year. "We're hoping to add five to 10 acres a year in grapes," he said. The venture is a bit of a gamble, concedes Day, who wants to take a slow-growth approach to gauge market conditions. He's also a bit nervous because the winery won't immediately see the fruits of its profits. "Next fall, when we do the first crush, we will not see any money for three to four years," Day said - the length of time it will take the wines to mature in the barrels. Orchard Manager Jon Meadors said Hillcrest will continue to plant newer strains of pears, but from varieties that produce more fruit. About 100 to 150 acres of pears should remain, he added. A combination winery and fruit stand should help boost sales at Hillcrest, he said. The winery will crush grapes from vineyards in Southern Oregon begging for a place to sell their fruit. "Last year, there were grapes that didn't find a home," said Day. Vineyard owners were practically giving away their harvests because wineries in the Willamette Valley couldn't handle the volume. Some of the grapes Foothill will use in production will come from existing contracts, but Day hopes to develop new relationships with other vineyards. Hillcrest's small grape production was previously sent to Foris Winery in Cave Junction. Day said that would continue, but any new grapes produced would be labeled under the Foothill brand. The new label will feature a pen and ink drawing of the original Frank Clark house at the farm. "We'll have the label done by this fall, but we won't have anything to put it on for three years," said Day. To determine how to set up his own facility, Day went to 20 different wineries in the Willamette Valley. Their advice: Keep the overhead low. Day said the production facility will be a simple metal building with concrete floor behind the existing historic buildings on the property. "We've got the glitz," said Day. "It was built in 1908. Now we need the production." Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.