New Paso Robles Operation Offers Unparalleled Combination of Versatility, Expertise and Results
April 25, 2025 (Paso Robles, CA)—A new era comes to Paso Robles wine production with the opening of Fortress Custom Crush, providing winery clients with an unparalleled combination of versatility, expertise and results. Fortress Custom Crush is helmed by Director of Winemaking and General Manager Jeremy Leffert, a longtime Central Coast winemaker with deep experience in both proprietary wine production and custom crush winemaking.
“We provide a perfect solution for brands of all sizes that want to save on capital and labor without sacrificing the highest standards of wine quality.” Leffert said. “We have cultivated a team of highly skilled individuals who have enormous passion for their work and a proven attention to detail. We plan to raise the standard of what wineries expect from a custom crush relationship on the Central Coast.”
Conveniently located along Highway 46 West in westside Paso Robles, Fortress Custom Crush is a high-touch, full-service winemaking facility that serves clients from the crush pad to the bottle. A wide range of volumes are serviced with fermentations available from one ton to 22 tons across a variety of vessels, including small bins, concrete, oak and traditional stainless-steel fermenters. Attentive winemaking extends through aging, blending and packaging with ongoing expert consultation and communication.
Leffert has worked at the Fortress Custom Crush winery facility since 2015, and he has overseen its recent conversion to a full-service custom crush operation. Over the past seven years, Leffert’s team has produced 48 wines with scores above 94 points from top critics including Jeb Dunnuck, Wine Enthusiast, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate and Tasting Panel. Ninety-two percent of all wines produced by the team have scored 91+ points since the 2017 vintage.
“I have an aptitude for the needs of winemakers,” Leffert said. “I personally know what it’s like to be a proprietary winemaker who is reliant on the performance of a custom crush partner. This experience sets the tone for how we operate at Fortress Custom Crush.”
Excellence through Expertise
Leffert’s management team includes Matt Ortman, a second-generation winemaker who steered his own family winery in Paso Robles before returning to a career in construction management. At Fortress Custom Crush, Ortman’s unique skill set is perfectly suited to managing client logistics, capital improvements and business development. Fortress Custom Crush is locally owned by a division of Covelop, an innovative San Luis Obispo development, construction, and property management firm led by principals Damien Mavis and Pat Arnold.
“One of the things that sets our team apart is an emphasis on a positive workplace culture and the belief that wine quality starts in the vineyard and can only be executed with a happy, clean and motivated cellar,” Leffert said.
Fortress Custom Crush is accepting winery clients of all sizes in advance of the 2025 growing season and harvest on the Central Coast, providing high quality and cost-efficiency at a time when both are mutually essential to success. Inquiries may be directed to info@fortresscustomcrush.com.
About Fortress Custom Crush
Fortress Custom Crush is the premier provider of custom crush winemaking in Paso Robles. Helmed by General Manager and Director of Winemaking Jeremy Leffert, Fortress Custom Crush serves clients from the crush pad to the bottle with an unparalleled combination of versatility, expertise and results. Over the past seven years, Leffert’s team has produced 48 wines with scores above 94 points from top critics including Jeb Dunnuck, Wine Enthusiast, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate and Tasting Panel. More at www.FortressCustomCrush.com.
