Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/90739
WINEMAKING Dick Ponzi The top level contains an indoor, cov- ered reception area and crush pad, merci- fully shielded from the elements, which at harvest time in Oregon aren't often all that endearing. A modern sorting table by DeJong Products and a conveyor by Van Weld Metal Fabrication deliver fruit to a venerable 1985 vintage Amos destemmer- crusher, which drops fruit down into fermenting bins on the second level. The fermentation level is one big, wide-open space, maximizing flexibility in what goes where and for how long. Pressed juice or wine heads down to the third level (the first being at the top) for barrel-aging, and all the way at the bottom is bottling and case good storage. The total facility is about 30,000 square feet—a third of which is only used at fermentation time. The winery could produce much more than Ponzi's cur- rent 35,000-case annual production, and someday far down the road it might. For the moment, the roominess is a constant relief from the previous quarters. Every level is at least partially under- ground; at the fourth level (for case goods), only the windows peek above the soil. The semi-subterranean design and the reflective metal roof aid immensely in natural cool- ing, supplemented with night air ventila- tion; the facility has neither heating nor air conditioning systems. Humidity seems to take care of itself, too. Natural light floods in from both sides, and rooftop solar panels help chip away at electricity usage. Treated wastewater and storm water get stored and diverted back out into the adjoining vineyards, as needed. Dick Ponzi has a longstanding interest in architecture and all the skills needed to envision and design the winery. But lack- ing formal certification, a friendly local architect vouched for his submissions. Fermentation is under way on the spacious, flexible second level of the winery. Gravity flow from the second level fills barrels for aging one floor below. The land, mostly existing vineyards, was acquired in 2006, and work began at the end of 2007. The fall had been quite rainy that year, but the 2007-08 winter was unusually dry, allowing the excavation to proceed rapidly, which in turn meant the facility was available for the 2008 harvest. Ponzi followed the construction crews as they worked, tweaking small details as they went—a process still ongoing in dribs and drabs, according to Luisa Ponzi. Going with the (gravity) flow Matching the stark simplicity of the win- ery interior, Ponzi's winemaking style is on the minimalist side, too. It rests on the quality of fruit, 40% of which is estate grown at several sites, with the remainder coming from vineyards owned by oth- ers but managed by Ponzi. All the estate vineyards and most of the contract grapes are certified through the Oregon LIVE (Low Impact Viticulture and Enology) or- ganization and the Salmon Safe program; the winery itself was also one of the first LIVE-certified facilities. Once the fruit gets to the winery, having the crush area inside (which might seem like a luxury) is a blessing in the frequent- ly rainy Willamette Valley; fruit that has to sit and wait its turn has a roof over- head. Everything makes its way across the DeJong shaking/sorting table and a customized conveyor. Reds go through the destemmer-crusher on the top floor, though only its destemming capacities get any real use, dropping whole berries downstairs for cold soak and fermenta- tion. Whites mainly start their service one level down with whole-cluster pressing on a Europress, then they are either tank- fermented or barrel-fermented on the third level. The destemmer and presses are mobile, but the tanks and bins that receive fruit and juice beneath them are even more mobile, making gravity work. WINES & VINES NOVEMBER 2012 43 BRET LYMAN