CO VER S T OR Y
One problem with custom crushing for many wineries is that it can delay pay- ment by six to nine months. "Some banks won't allow it for that reason, even if there is a potential upside," he says. Silverado Premium Properties typically uses two custom wineries in the Central Coast and two in the North Coast. "We try not to ship grapes from one region to another," Wilson says. He adds that it's pretty easy to use custom crushers and that they produce good wine. Wilson emphasizes that Silverado is a grower, not a winery. "We prefer to sell our grapes. And if we make wine this year, it will be because we choose to, not because we have to. We could sell every red grape and probably white grape we grow. We don't see a lot of growers cus- tom crushing this year. Most wineries are signing mid- to long-term contracts now to ensure they have fruit."
Assisting growers
Helping growers make and sell their wine has become a key business for Mike Draxton, who also has a small brand of his own, Draxton Wines, in Windsor, Calif. A winemaker with 25 years experi- ence and a wine broker, he began assisting
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growers in 2008, when there was a huge oversupply of grapes. "For many, the other choices by Octo- ber were to sell their grapes at a low price or let them rot. There were just a handful of big buyers by then."
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For more on custom crush suppliers, see Wines & Vines' 2012 Buyer's Guide in print or online at winesandvinesbuyersguide.com.
Draxton says that Sonoma County growers were being offered prices as low as $1,000 per ton (down from the $2,000 they previously received.) He offered an alternative, turning the fruit into wine.
Wines & Vines JUne 2012 25
