Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/131907
WINEMAKING 12th-16th November 2013 fieramilano Rho - Italy opening time 9,00 - 18,00 pavilions 9-11 9th edition visit our website www.enovitis.it International Vine and Olive Growing Technics Exhibition The 25th SIMEI will take place at the same time. The International Enological and Bottling Equipment Exhibition, will display every kind of machinery, equipment and products for wine-making and for bottling and packaging of drinks Hotel and Travel www.interexpotravel.com 44 W in e s & V i ne s J U NE 2 0 13 for further information ENOVITIS via San Vittore al Teatro, 3 20123 Milan - Italy tel. +39 02 72222825/26/28 fax +39 02 866575 www.enovitis.it – info@enovitis.it W&V: You're not a big proponent of gravity-flow wineries. Why not? Is the gravity-flow aspect less important for you as a Cabernet Sauvignon specialist? Welch: I have worked with both gravityflow and non-gravity-flow situations, and my gut feeling is that, if you lined up 10 great bottles of wine, you might be hardpressed to identify which were made with gravity and which were not. I use gravity at Keever Vineyards in Yountville, Calif. I've worked in situations where power outages were frequent and long, and gravity flow is wonderful in those situations. I make my own wine, Corra, there as well because it fits well into the flow of the receiving system. We found a way to use gravity without adding expense by using a mezzanine, and during the non-harvest months it makes for a wonderful visitor route. They get to stand on our mezzanine and look over the fermentation area so that they can see, hear and smell everything that is happening without the danger of tripping over hoses, slipping on a wet floor or meeting a working forklift. This works well for us. I also use nitrogen displacement to move wine gently from barrels, and yes, we pump the wine to the bottling line. I have bottled using gravity, but it is very slow, which I do not think helps wine quality. A slower bottling rate means wine sits in a partial tank longer. But I agree with your premise that for Cabernet production this is less of an issue than it might be for, say, Pinot Noir. Also, I've worked in situations where power outages were frequent and long, and gravity flow is wonderful in those situations. Gravity can be helpful in a number of ways, but I don't think it's a make-orbreak criteria for winery design. If it fits into your plans, that's wonderful. If it adds expense and the budget is tight, I think there might be other items that take higher priority. A resident of the Santa Cruz Mountains, Laurie Daniel has been a journalist for more than 25 years. She has been writing about wine for publications for nearly 15 years and has been a Wines & Vines contributor since 2006.