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WINEMAKING Barrel-Washing Protocols Winemakers opt for a mix of steam, ozone and high-pressure hot water to keep barrels in top shape By Andrew Adams Wild yeast are used to conduct the barrel fermentations at Alpha Omega Winery in Rutherford, Calif., making clean barrels a top priority. J ean Hoefliger ferments more than half of the wine he makes for Alpha Omega Winery in-barrel. The Swiss-born winemaker, who has been with Napa Valley���s Alpha Omega since it opened in 2001, runs 600 to 700 barrel fermentations each year. Hoefliger doesn���t inoculate, and he says he doesn���t worry when individual fermentations shut down and stay dormant until the spring. He plans on most fermentations taking six to eight months to complete. One barrel of his 2011 Chardonnay stuck and did not finish until the first lots of 2012 Sauvignon Blanc had arrived at the winery. ���There is a risk in making such fermentations,��� Hoefliger says. While Hoefliger acknowledges the risk, he says the slow, native fermentations are key to his style. And to make sure primary fermentation is a success, he needs a healthy, natural environment for the yeast, which dictates that his barrels be as clean as possible. Keep them clean and sanitary The right barrel-washing protocol complements a winemaker���s style and helps minimize the risk for microbial contamination. Yet for the seemingly simple proposition of cleaning a barrel, suppliers offer a wide range of equipment, and many in the industry have different opinions about the best approach. Hoefliger gives each of his barrels a hot water, high-pressure rinse followed by cold water and ozonated water. He says the heat from the initial rinse ���opens the pores��� in the barrel interior, allowing ozone to penetrate. He likes ozone because it has a short half-life and poses less of a risk to the cellar���s microbial population, which Hoefliger relies on to ferment his wine. ���I can���t really hurt that natural environment,��� he says. 58 W in e s & V i ne s JANUARY 20 13 Highlights ��� sound and effective barrel-cleaning program will prolong A the life of your barrels and minimize the risk of microbial contamination. ��� team and ozone are common sanitizers for barrels, and each S comes with its own strengths and weaknesses. ��� hile promising, ultrasonic barrel cleaning technology has yet W to find a home in the U.S. wine industry. Following the ozone rinse, cellar workers gas each barrel with sulfur dioxide and insert a paper cup in the bunghole for storage. Hoefliger says he hasn���t had any major issues with Brettanomyces or lactobacillus, and he maintains a robust population of helpful microbes. Janet Myers, the general manager and director of winemaking at Franciscan Estate and Mount Veeder Winery, both also located in the Napa Valley, says she uses a warm water rinse followed by high-pressure hot water and an ozone rinse. Myers says ozone has proved effective in keeping Brettanomyces in check. ���We���ve never had a big Brett problem, but we know it���s there, and we���re keeping it at bay.��� She says Franciscan operates a Tom Beard barrel-washing line that was just retrofitted to include an ozone station powered