Portland, Ore. – Amaterra Winery is setting new standards in the winemaking industry with an innovative gravity-flow winemaking process that utilizes a patent-pending bridge crane system and punch-down device. This unique approach aims to enhance efficiency, minimize labor, and improve wine quality in their Willamette Valley Pinot Noir production.
The winery’s design, spearheaded by General Manager and Winemaker Matt Vuylsteke, was centered around the use of a bridge crane, a concept suggested by designer Pat O’Brien of O’Brien Design+Build during the planning stages of construction. Vuylsteke, always focused on finding creative ways to optimize production, embraced the idea, and a new system for handling fermentation tanks was born.
Amaterra’s winery features two stories of production space beneath a large restaurant, tasting room, and event facility. The system utilizes a double girder bridge crane, allowing trolleys to move fermenting tanks across high beam girders between the two levels of the winery. This structure maximizes vertical space and creates an efficient layout that can be easily adapted to different production needs.
The gravity-flow process begins with fruit being sorted on the upper level before moving into fermentation tanks on the lower floor. Once fermentation is complete, the bridge cranes lift the tanks back to the upper level, where they are emptied into barrels below using gravity. This method eliminates the need for forklifts and simplifies the wine racking process, offering numerous advantages in both productivity and quality control.
Vuylsteke also found another use for the bridge cranes in their punch-down operations. Traditionally, punch-downs—a process where the fermenting grape skins are pushed down into the juice—require significant manual labor. Vuylsteke and his team developed a device that attaches to the crane and is suspended over open-top fermentation tanks. This device, humorously called “Four-Matts” by the winery team due to its weight and design, provides consistent downward force during punch-downs, saving labor and reducing the physical strain on workers.
“Using the bridge cranes for punch-downs not only simplifies the process but also reduces back strain and improves efficiency,” said Vuylsteke. “Instead of requiring several people and additional equipment, one person can now handle the entire punch-down process.”
Amaterra’s new winemaking system offers several advantages, including a more streamlined production process, better utilization of space, and significant labor savings. The bridge crane system also facilitates the handling of other materials, such as packaging and fermentation equipment, with minimal manpower. These advancements have earned Amaterra a 2021 Top Project Design award from the Daily Journal of Commerce and two pending patents.
As the winery continues to refine its innovative approach to winemaking, Amaterra demonstrates the power of creativity and engineering in solving the challenges of modern production while maintaining a focus on quality.
“We’ve always aimed to challenge the status quo,” Vuylsteke concluded. “This system is just one example of how thinking outside the box can lead to better wine and a better working environment for our team.”
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