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40 W i n e s & V i n e s M A R C H 2 0 1 4 Technical upgrades make life easier In addition to the extra space, Holman said he also has enjoyed working with the winemaking software VINx2, which replaced the pens and notebooks he used before. The software allows him to upload data from a desktop or mobile device as well as access data whenever or wherever he needs it. "That's been a pretty good efficiency." A VinWizard system controls tank tem- peratures. Les Bourgeois has 53 tanks that range from just about 130 gallons to 12,000 gallons. Holman purchased most of them from Mueller in Springfield, Mo., and Spokane Industries in Spokane, Wash. He said technical tastings used to hap- pen in the basement below the restaurant, but the new sensory room affords a quiet and spacious area for analysis and discus- sion among the winemaking team. The winery's former lab had barely enough space for one person, but now Holman can have a team of staff and interns run- ning basic analysis on equipment by Fisher Scientific. (See "Triage for a Basic Wine/Grape Lab" on page 74.) One piece of new equipment that Hol- man credited with helping to improve wine quality almost immediately was a Del Ozone machine. He said in the past the winery experienced some sanitation problems, but incorporating ozone has made it much easier for Holman to ensure the cellar team uses a standardized and effective sanitation process. Grapes are dumped in to a Carlsen & Associates hopper on the crush pad. Most white grapes and all red grapes are destemmed with a Vega 25 unit. About 20% of each lot of Norton grapes are pressed to improve the skin-to-juice ratio. G R A P E G R O W I N G W I N E M A K I N G TECHNICAL REVIEW