Wines & Vines

June 2013 Enology & Viticulture Issue

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winemaking ogy because of its ability to kill microorganisms, to help prevent TCA issues and reduce mold growth. The cellar has concrete floors and dry wall and is not humidified, but there was still moisture in the room, so they saw mold growth around the bung holes and on the floor when water puddled. "Mold growth is controlled," reports Travis Bonilla, Bergstrom's assistant winemaker. Two years passed before the winery first changed the bulbs, and some mold growth was observed. Once ultraviolet lamps were changed (it took staff about 30 minutes), the mold disappeared. Chateau Montelena (Calistoga, Calif.) has nine photocatalytic reactors: four in the fermentation cellar, one in each of two bottled wine libraries, two in a case goods warehouse and one mobile unit to move around in the caves where wine is in barrels. The first installation was in 2005. The filter and ultraviolet lamps in each unit are changed once per year. "The reactors help with controlling odors and preventing mold growth," says Cameron Parry, Chateau Montelena winemaker. "We are very pleased with them. We had a problem with musty cellar odors, and the units removed those odors." Corliss Estates (Walla Walla, Wash.) purchased a first-generation unit in 2007 to help control mold in one of their smaller storage rooms. "Once the unit was installed," reports winemaker Andrew Trio, "we no longer had a problem. "We made an addition to the winery in 2012, including a new 120,000-cubic-foot production area, 62,500-cubic-foot barrel storage room and a 100,000-cubic-foot case goods storage room. A good portion of the winery sits underneath ground level and we benefit from the cool temperature and high humidity that this naturally creates. Once we began working in the new WIN The Battle Against Mold Without Ozone or Chemicals INCREASE RH and stop evaporative wine loss REMOVE harmful microbiological matter from the air REDUCE labor costs DISCOVER how Airocide can work for you Rutherford Equipment Rental "Your Partner in Winery Operations" 707 253-7368 rutherfordrental.com 66 p racti c al w i ne ry & v i ne yard J U NE 20 13 space, we noticed a sharp increase to our usual cellar humidity due to the high moisture content of the freshly poured concrete. "Upon recommendation from the supplier and doing our own research, we installed several new generation GCS50 units: two in production space, two for one barrel room, three for one case goods storage room and three more units to be mounted at other locations throughout the cellar. The rooms now smell much fresher, and we have not found any signs of mold since. We are feeling confident and very happy with our purchase." Debonne Vineyards (Madison, Ohio) installed four photocatalytic reactors in the 70,000-gallon, 15,000-square-foot winery in 2005, following manufacturer recommendations for unit sizes based on the cubic feet of each room. There are two units in the barrel room, one in the fermentation cellar and one in the bottling room that operates 24/7. Before installation, winemaker Ed Trebets said there was a lot of moisture in the cellar and mold on the walls and ceiling—plus surface yeast on the wine. After scrubbing all surfaces, painting with mildewcide and installing reactor units, Trebets reports that he has had no problems in seven years. There has been no moldy smell, and the amount of surface yeast has declined. "Wines made from hybrid grapes are more susceptible to surface yeast," Trebets says. Debonne wine production is approximately 48% hybrid and 52% vinifera. Trebets says that one pass through the reactor kills all organisms in the air moving through the unit. The filter and ultraviolet lamps in the units are changed annually. Two photocatalytic reactors were installed at Distefano Winery (Woodinville, Wash.) in a 1,568-square-foot barrel cellar (400 barrel capacity) in 2011. The cellar has tilt-up concrete walls and flat floors with drains added, but puddles of water are a problem. Distefano owner/winemaker Mark Newton uses fans to evaporate the water and also to humidify the cellar. Concerned about mildew and TCA, Newton saw mold on the walls before the units were installed. The mold was cleaned off the walls, and there has been no mold growth since installation of the two units. Newton reports the units that hang on the wall use 110-volts and are quiet when running. "They keep down the odors too, so that there is just a nice wine smell now in the room," Newton says. He adds that he has a background in engineering and took one unit apart, finding it to be well made. Shafer Vineyards (Napa, Calif.) first installed a photocatalytic reactor in 2005. Today there are a total of 12 units in caves, the bottling area, lab, wine library and fermentation cellar. "After the first four units were installed in the caves, we tested the atmosphere for mold growth and concluded the units were doing their job," reports Elias Fernandez, winemaker. Fernandez reports no mold growth in the caves, and the units control odor as well. "We retrofitted the covers of the older units to make annual changing of the ultraviolet lamps and filter easier." "We have one photocatalytic reactor in a 160-square-foot room where we propagate yeast and ML cultures," says Patrick Bernard, enologist at Williams-Selyem Winery (Healdsburg, Calif.). "It is there for insurance to prevent contamination." The filter and ultraviolet lamps are changed every year before harvest. "The lamps are easy to change. We installed the unit on the ceiling, and we bring it down to change the ultraviolet lamps. We are satisfied that the unit is doing what it is supposed to do." PWV Photocatalytic reactors for winery use are made and sold by Airocide of Jacksonville, Fla. For more information, visit airocide. com/wine.

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