What is the key difference between a co-op and a custom crush facility?

• A. Growers own the facility and set production
• B. Growers do not own the facility but pay per service
• C. Both require fixed contracts with vintages
• D. Co-ops operate only as marketing bodies

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is ownership and how the winemaking facility is used. A co-op is owned by the growers who supply grapes and collectively run the winemaking facility, sharing in the decisions and the fruits (and costs) of production. In a custom crush setup, the facility is owned by someone else, and growers or wineries pay for the services they use—crushing, fermenting, aging—rather than owning the facility themselves.

So the key difference is that growers don’t own the facility but pay per service in a custom crush arrangement, whereas a co-op is owned and operated by the growers, giving them control over production decisions and the use of the facility. The other statements either misstate ownership, imply a universal contract structure, or incorrectly describe what co-ops do.