Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/331901
W i n e s & V i n e s J U LY 2 0 1 4 51 use in your filters: Would you be better off using a cross-flow filter, where there are fewer break downs and set ups, and you can filter in one pass? Consider using a liquid cellulose gum, like Laffort's Celstab, for cold stability instead of the traditional chilling and seeding with potassium bitartrate crystals, which is very energy and water intensive. Using electro dialysis when the brine is treated with reverse osmosis (like the STARS/Oenodia process) is also an effec- tive way to achieve cold stability and use less water than traditional KHTA seeding. Settling well beforehand (perhaps using Isinglass) may enable you to filter with one pass rather than twice with a rough and polish pass. Get the lab involved Though labs will never be as water-inten- sive as cellar operations, there are some easy to install water-wise techniques for labs. Install aerators in all sinks so less water is used when sink taps are turned on. Foot-pedal operated "on/off" taps (like those often seen in hospitals) are also an idea, so less water is used when washing lab glassware. It may sound trivial, but setting a piece of glassware to the side of the sink, using the hands to turn on the taps and then picking up the glassware and commencing cleaning will waste water. Under-sink tankless water heaters get water up to temperature quickly without having to travel a long distance from a tra- ditional water-heater tank. If you can save several seconds of running water multiple times per day, every day, it can add up. Is a cultural shift necessary? Change is tough. It might be difficult to make reaching for the squeegee (instead of the hose) automatic for your cellar crew. In order to make system-wide improvements in water usage, it's critical that everyone at the winery—from upper management to the night-shift bottling line—be on board. Here are some team and cultural points to think about when designing a water conservation campaign: 4 Make sure appropriate cleaning tech- niques and water-wise behavior is at the core of all employee training, from cellar to tasting room. 4 Create a "water team" with a member from every key area on it (vineyard, cellar, barrel room, bottling, hospitality, etc.) that meets regularly to keep the campaign moving forward. 4 Encourage employees to come up with their own creative solutions so they feel a sense of ownership of the issues and the successes. 4 Encourage self-policing and instill a culture that values conservation. 4 Find ways to reward innovation and consistency, because maintaining per- manent behavior change isn't easy. Alison Crowe is the director of wine- making for Napa, Calif.-based Plata Wine Partners and the winemaker for Garnet Vineyards. She published The Winemaker's Answer Book in 2007 and blogs at girlandthegrape.com. (Continued from page 48.) Introducing our Volclay® Bentonite clarif ication and purif ication products. • KNK: Krystal Klear • KNK: Food grade Extensively used to prevent cloudiness while removing heat-sensitive proteins. 847-476-0769 www.colloid.com/clear Used by the world's leading wine makers! Cloudiness removal performance WineGlass-greyscale-1 1 11/14/12 9:27 PM RESOURCES • sustainablewinegrowing.org • home-water-works.org/saving-tips/work • my.sfwmd.gov/portal/page/portal/common/ pdf/beverage.pdf • wineinstitute.org/winerywaterguide • saveourh20.org G R A P E G R O W I N G W I N E M A K I N G