Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/235959
C Oi V Ee R A K O R G w n M S T IN Y Ridge Monte Bello winery improvements BY Don Neel, Editor A custom-designed receiving hopper and a Vacher-Beguet Mistral sorting machine specifically for Bordeaux grape varieties were installed at Ridge Vineyards' Monte Bello winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains above Cupertino, Calif., in 2009. This began a five-year program of improvements, which includes additional tank capacity for the Bordeaux grapes, a new heating/cooling system with solar thermal collectors and a bio reactor for wastewater treatment completed in 2013. The receiving hopper is 4 feet wide and 30 feet long with a slightly curved (to retain juice and grapes) poly conveyor belt with a variable-speed drive designed for easy cleaning and to achieve even, consistent delivery of grapes to the destemmer. Zinfandel is sorted for leaves and damaged fruit at the receiving conveyor. Monte Bello Bordeaux grapes are destemmed but not crushed as whole berries go through the Mistral sorting machine at approximately 3 tons per hour. They are further sorted on a second conveyor by a crew of four to five. The Mistral sorting machine cannot be used for fully crushed Zinfandel grapes. Tank room renovation included relocation of four 15-ton Zinfandel fermentors to be used for malolactic fermentations (MLF) and blending. Seven new 4.25-ton mobile primary fermentors were installed for the new replanting of additional 19th century blocks abandoned during Prohibition. A mezzanine was built above them to hold 12 580-gallon tanks to initiate natural MLF from the separate parcels of Bordeaux varieties. Ridge fermentors are usually turned three times during harvest. Average Zinfandel fermentations typically run seven days before pressing. Zinfandel completes MLF in tank before transfer to barrels. Bordeaux varieties start MLF in tank and are transferred to barrel with malolactic lees to finish. The tank sanitation procedure includes the use of a Lechler M20 tank cleaning head; first rinse with potassium hydroxide detergent and 150° F water 15 minutes for a 5-ton capacity tank. The second rinse is ambient water and citric acid for 15 minutes. The third rinse is 2– 3 minutes ambient water. There are nine acres of new Bordeaux variety plantings that have drip irrigation installed for use until the vines are sufficiently rooted. Green retrofit of heating and cooling systems BY Zachary Domich, Solarix Systems, San Francisco, Calif. R idge Vineyards Monte Bello winery installed high energy-efficiency mechanical equipment for the 2013 harvest. Chief winemaker Paul Draper asked the owners of Solarix Systems in San Francisco, Calif., Zachary Domich and Bob Bullach, to design and install a system worthy of the Ridge brand. Through lengthy consultation with Ridge winemaker Eric Baugher, a system was implemented that most logically addresses the Ridge endeavor to make the best wine possible while utilizing the least amount of energy, without compromise. With the history of Ridge Monte Bello dating back to the 1800s, its facilities have endured many revisions and upgrades. Ridge Monte Bello had outlived its most recent mechanical configuration, which was considered advanced when installed but after decades of service has become fatigued and outdated. The old system was decommissioned as the new system integration occurred. As in many wineries, facility activity and dependence on the mechanical system continues year-round, leaving small windows of opportunity to execute timeconsuming mechanical remodeling or upgrades without interrupting production. With the upgrade, the entire heating and cooling system was replaced, without interruption of harvest. Creativity was required in layout, configuration 14 p ractic al w i ne ry & v i ne yard JANUARY 20 14 A destemmer is positioned above the simple and effective Vacher-Beguet Mistral sorting machine that employs a slotted zone and an air knife to automatically remove unwanted stem pieces, shot berries, raisins, insects, and other MOG. A transfer conveyor feeds a KIESEL SP20FTF hopperstyle progressive cavity must pump with a short, curvier, higher amplitude rotor that creates large pockets to move grapes gently through the pump with variable speed drive.