Back in 1918, three brothers by the names of Anthony, James and Phillip Chinchiolo moved to the Golden State in hopes of growing and marketing their own cherries. Fast forward almost a century to see the same Chinchiolo name continue to reign over the California cherry market.
The Chinchiolo Fruit Company was one of the first cherry growers and shippers in California in the early 1920s. Chinchiolo expanded quickly within their own growing operations as well as assisting other growers market and ship their fruit. Chinchiolo Fruit Co. was also well known for penetrating the Japanese market and opening it up to California cherry exporters. In 2003, Chinchiolo Fruit Co. was acquired by Stemilt Growers, becoming Chinchiolo Stemilt California (CSC) and has been operated by the family-owned company based in Wenatchee, Washington ever since.
The joining of the two family-owned companies gave Stemilt the unique position to be able to supply cherries continuously from May in California through early September from its Washington State orchards. Broken down into three different areas – South District, Mid-District, and Late District – multiple varieties can be found growing at Stemilt’s orchards in California, including the traditional Bing, Rainier, and Lapins, and a big focus on up-and-coming cherries, Coral Champagne and several Royal varieties.
Erick Stonebarger, General Manager of CSC, finds growing in three different districts very advantageous. “Geographic diversity allows us to harvest daily for a continuous supply from California, which keeps cherry freshness and quality high. Our long cherry season at Stemilt wouldn’t be possible without focusing on quality each and every day, and growing cherries with ‘world famous’ qualities is exactly what we strive for here in California.”
The Coral is a low-acid, very sweet, large-sized cherry that excels in the desert-like, breezy climate of the Patterson district, along with other California cherry districts. The Coral is now the second highest produced cherry variety in the state of California, following the Bing variety.
Coral cherries on packing line
“At Stemilt, we constantly work to align the right variety with the right climate so that it can thrive and produce the dessert flavors shoppers want in cherries. We’ve been very happy with how Coral grows in Patterson, and all signs point to an exceptional crop this year from this locale,” said Stonebarger.
Beyond the farm, Stemilt has invested significantly in the packing side of its California operations in recent years. The company has a state-of-the-art optic sizing and defect sorting packing line that allows it to efficiently and consistently pack high-quality cherries. Recent line enhancements have centered on increasing clamshell and bag capacity, and Stemilt also utilizes jet coolers to bring cherries to the ideal temperature quickly prior to shipment.
As cherry season nears in California, Stemilt’s emphasis on growing new varieties in heritage sites should prove to be advantageous when it comes to cherry quality.
“Our goal is to create a memorable and dessert eating experience for shoppers,” said Stonebarger. “In cherries, that means doing a lot of little things right, including farming the right fruit in the right spot, harvesting it at optimal timing, and packing quickly and with care. Stemilt’s unique position in two cherry growing states not only allows for a long cherry season, but also gives us great resources to focus on quality and flavor first and foremost.”
Contact:
Brianna Shales
Stemilt Growers
Tel: 509-662-9667 x1221