From Blank Canvas to First Crush: How Monte Christo Built a Winery with the Right Partner Behind Them
CASE STUDY
When Monte Christo set out to build a brand-new winery, they needed a partner who could help design an efficient, future-ready system from the ground up. For winemaker Karl Coombes, that meant choosing technology he trusted and a team that would stand behind it. Their first vintage put that partnership to the test.
Background
Starting with a clean slate
Monte Christo Winery holds a special place in Central Otago’s history. Established in 1864, it’s recognised as the region’s oldest winery. A legacy now carried forward by vineyards that have been steadily redeveloped and are now producing premium fruit.
When Karl Coombes joined as Winemaker in 2021, the vineyards were thriving with premium fruit, and the Paris family had restored the original winery as a cellar door. But the ambitions for Monte Christo stretched well beyond that.
“One of my first big projects was to design a new winery,” he recalls. “We were basically starting with a whole new building and a majority of new equipment. It was a clean slate.”
For a mid-sized Central Otago producer, the goal wasn’t to build the biggest facility; it was to create the smartest. Karl needed a setup that delivered quality, supported a lean, capable team, and made the most of every hour during harvest.
And at the centre of that planning was one crucial decision: choosing the right press.
The Challenge
A press that was simple, reliable, and efficient
Karl had used many presses across his career, and he already knew what he wanted.
“A press is one of the major pieces of kit you buy, and it’s important,” he explains. “I always liked Europresses. They’re reliable, last a long time, and they’re straightforward. Easy to clean too, which is huge during harvest.”
The winery build itself faced delays, and global freight issues pushed out delivery timeframes. Karl needed a supplier who was honest about lead times and could help tailor the right setup for the new space.
The Solution
A complete fruit-handling system from Grapeworks NZ
Karl had met Dean from Grapeworks NZ before and trusted the Europress brand in Grapeworks NZ’s portfolio.
“Dean’s great to deal with, he’s a good communicator with the right winemaking experience,” Karl says.
Together, they designed a streamlined fruit-handling system that included a Europress, a custom Scharfenberger hopper with an optional crusher, and a Scharfenberger elevator conveyor.
The compact design meant fruit could be tipped straight into the hopper and fed directly into the Europress, saving both time and valuable floor space.
“Instead of tipping into a freestanding crusher and then tipping again into the Europress, we just tip straight into the hopper, and it goes straight through,” Karl explains. “It’s a real efficiency.”
The Test
A breakdown at harvest — but a fast response
Grapeworks NZ installed the equipment ahead of schedule, and the first two fruit loads ran smoothly. But on the third load, the press suddenly stopped.
“It made a hell of a noise,” Karl recalls. “Something obviously broke in the gearbox and motor.”
He pulled apart what he could but quickly realised the issue was more serious. It was the kind of moment every winemaker dreads during harvest.
Karl phoned Dean at Grapeworks NZ. Even though he was overseas, Dean responded straight away, involved a Europress technical specialist, and together, they diagnosed the issue. They discovered a failure in a third-party gearbox component – not manufactured by Scharfenberger.
Rather than attempt a slow or partial repair, Grapeworks NZ and Europress made a fast, decisive plan. They would air-freight a complete gearbox and motor from Germany as a single unit. Grapeworks NZ also facilitated alternative processing solutions to allow production to continue.
“I think it was about eleven or twelve days from breakdown to being back up and running,” Karl says. “As far as how it was dealt with, the support from Grapeworks NZ was excellent. The priority was to get the press going again, which was exactly what we needed.”
Since then, the Europress has been performing flawlessly.
The Outcome
A more innovative workflow and a trusted partnership
Monte Christo’s new system has already proven how efficient a purpose-built winery can be. The Europress is quick to clean, intuitive to run, and flexible enough for hands-on control when needed. The integrated hopper and crusher reduce labour, speed up processing and help the team wrap up earlier, which is a welcome improvement during vintage.
“Everything during harvest is labour-intensive,” Karl says. “This setup means we can run a smaller team and still work efficiently.”
When asked whether he’d recommend Grapeworks NZ, Karl doesn’t hesitate:
“I’d definitely recommend Grapeworks NZ. Dean provided the right information, asked the right questions, and made sure we got exactly what we wanted.”
Monte Christo now heads into future vintages with a winery built for how they work and the confidence of having a partner who stands behind their equipment when it matters most.