This Atascadero winemaker wants to keep Central Coast wineries running smoothly

After one too many pricey bills for specialized repairs, Atascadero winemaker Fintan "Fin" du Fresne decided to open a new business aimed at helping Central Coast wineries with local repairs and maintenance.

Du Fresne, winemaker and general manager at Chamisal Vineyards and Malene Wines in San Luis Obispo, launched Winery Mechanical Systems on May 25. The Atascadero-based company is the Central Coast’s first provider of comprehensive, winery-specific repair and maintenance solutions, he said.

"Working with contractors who don’t understand the ins and outs of wineries is costly and unproductive,” du Fresne said. “And when it comes to repairing specialized equipment, you often have to hire a technician to come down from Napa, and you pay extra for their travel time."

For example, he recently paid $2,068 for a vendor to travel from Sonoma to replace a seal on a pump — and that amount didn't include the actual cost of repairs.

"There are 893 bonded wineries on the Central Coast and a bare handful of dedicated maintenance service providers," he said.

"I just see a real need for a service like this. I have personally lived through the challenge of keeping a winery running smoothly and cost effectively. I believe that Winery Mechanical Systems can be a game changer for Central Coast wineries."

According to du Fresne, wineries face unique repair and maintenance challenges because of specialized equipment and complex technical systems. The new business is set up to help with nearly all winemaking equipment, he said, including crushers, de-stemmers, presses, pumps, filters and refrigeration equipment, as well as plumbing and electrical systems.

The company includes two staff members, as well as select sub-contractor partners. Daniel Krichevsky, Winery Mechanical Systems managing technician, trained with Scotts Labs in Sonoma and has more than a decade of winemaking and winery facilities maintenance experience on the Central Coast, according to a news release.

The business is also the first local company to act as a vendor-trained service agent for leading winery equipment manufacturers such as Armbruster and Willmes, according to the release.

Du Fresne will stay with Chamisal Vineyards and Malene Wines as winemaker and general manager while running Winery Mechanical Systems.

This story was originally published May 30, 2018 at 10:14 AM with the headline "This Atascadero winemaker wants to keep Central Coast wineries running smoothly."