Monte Creek unveils new processing facility, part of $10-million project

Monte Creek winery has finished construction on a new production facility that's been years in the making — a plant that could allow the winery to triple its production.

The new building is part of $10-million dollars worth of new infrastructure the winery has been working on since before the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020.

Erik Fisher, general manager of Monte Creek, said the new facility was designed with sustainability in mind.

“It's really attributed to a belief that you can only produce great wines from balanced fruit and healthy vines,” Fisher said.

“And in order to do that, you need to foster soils that are truly alive, both above and below the soil.”

He said that sustainability has always been a core value for the winery.

Built into a hill, the new building is predominantly earth sheltered and maximizes earth cooling similar to a cave, the winery said. Monte Creek said the building was designed to operate passively for most of the year, reducing the winery's environmental impact.

“We're very committed to our people who lead the charge in quality, sustainability and innovation,” he said.

According to the winery, the 15,000 square foot building boasts 52 feet of vertical space, allowing gravity to process grapes gently rather than using the usual pumps — which Monte Creek winemakers believe will result in more elegant wine.

“If you can produce wine more delicately without pumping grapes through a hose, you give yourself a better opportunity to produce more elegant and more premium wines, particularly red wines, like Pinot Noir, which is very much a hallmark of our future wine program,” Fisher said.

The new facility will primary be used to process red wines, while Monte Creek's original facility will now be used to make white wines.

“We're [Monte Creek] always trying to think of our three core tenets, which is innovation, quality, and sustainability,” Monte Creek winemaker Galen Barnhardt said adding that the new facility really relates to the winery’s values.

“There's a bunch of us here that think sustainability is is front of mind.”

Along with the new facility, Monte Creek also unveiled its new 5,000-square-foot multi-use greenhouse space that will be used to propagate vines from January to May to expand the vineyard. For the rest of the year, the facility will be used for private, community and educational events.

Monte Creek said by propagating their vines on property, they reduce their carbon from long distance suppliers.

Barnhardt said though currently the winery doesn’t have a demand to triple its production, the added capacity will allow Monte Creek to grow with future demand and expand their business.