Artifex Wine Company custom crush facility is a partnership between three well-respected wine industry veterans: Rick Middleton, Norm McKibben, and Jean-François Pellet. Their combined experience and philosophies set the tone and direct the team of experienced professionals at Artifex Wine Company.

The Anderson & Middleton Company (Rick Middleton, CEO) is a family owned firm headquartered in Hoquiam, Washington. The Middletons have been working the land since 1898. They began with lumber and forestry, and have thoughtfully and gradually expanded their family business to include table grapes, wine grapes, and wine. In addition to Artifex, the Middleton family owns and operates three wineries: CADARETTA (Walla Walla), BURIED CANE (Prosser), and CLAYHOUSE (Paso Robles).

Retiring from a successful and rewarding civil engineering career, Norm returned to Walla Walla and quickly became intrigued with agriculture in the Walla Walla Valley.

Intially planting apples, Norm soon realized the area’s potential for producing premium wine grapes. Planting started in Pepper Bridge Vineyard in 1991. In 1994, Norm was involved with Marty Clubb and Gary Figgins in expanding Seven Hills Vineyard from 24 to over 200 acres, making it Walla Walla’s largest and best-known vineyard.

In 1999 Norm founded Pepper Bridge Winery, with the first grapes processed in 2000 focusing on ultra-premium production of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

As a managing partner or consultant to over 600 acres of vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley, Norm has introduced state-of-the-art irrigation and weather and soil monitoring and continues to develop and innovate vineyard practices promoting sustainable production.

A third-generation Swiss wine grower, Jean-François trained and worked at wineries in Switzerland, Spain, and Napa Valley before spending four years at Heitz Cellars.

In 1999, Jean-François was recuited to become the creative force behind Pepper Bridge Winery focusing their production on ultra-premium Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. He was immediately impressed with the potential of the Walla Walla Valley and its distinctive climate, soils, and terroir. Two years later Jean-François became the winemaker for Amavi Cellars.

Jean-François champions the development of sustainable practices in vineyards and wineries. He founded VINEA, the valley’s sustainable agriculture organization and is involved with developing standards of sustainable winery practices in Washington.

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