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WINEMAKING blending, he says. For that purpose, inert gas, usually nitrogen, is used. Gore says that Pulsair is turned on when the tank is 85% to 90% full, and "by the time it's filled, your tank is mixed." Use with portable wand These days, Columbia Crest, which has annual production of about 2 million cases, also is using Pulsair in some of its red wine fermentations, says current winemaker Juan Muñoz Oca. Pulsair capability is built into 15 of Columbia Crest's blending tanks, but for fermentations, the winery uses a portable system with a wand that's inserted through a racking valve. The wand is moved so that a pulse of air is dispensed toward the side of the tank close to the operator, in the middle and on the far side. Muñoz Oca says that one person watches from above the tank to make sure the whole cap gets wet. He uses it only on open-top fermen- tors; the other tanks, he says, have only a small opening on top, so "you can't see the burp." plans to use it for blending and making additions to tanks. "I'm going to use it as often as possible," he says. Highlights • Pulsair uses bubbles of air or inert gas to mix the contents of a tank for cap management and to mix blends. • The technology is available in a variety of configurations—from small, portable models to fixed systems controlled by computers. • Winemakers like the gentleness of the process and the ability to control extraction. • Pulsair, especially when used as a fixed, computerized system, can lead to labor savings. Pulsair is available in a variety of configurations, says Skip Brunhaver, Pulsair's head of sales for the western United States. There are several compact, hand-held models suitable for use on bins and small tanks. The next step up, he says, is a wheeled "wine cart" with multiple valves and a controller. A portable unit that's big enough for a 20-ton tank, he says, costs a little less than $4,500, plus accessories and the cost of any necessary modifications to the tank. The top of the line is a Pulsair system with permanently installed injection valves and a computer system. Brunhaver says that such a system for eight tanks or more would cost about $5,000 to $6,000 per tank, including the computer. That's the type of system that will be installed at Villa San- Juliette's new winery in Paso Robles, Calif. Winemaker Adam LaZarre plans to use a fixed, computerized system on a variety of tank sizes. "I'm going to outfit everything with Pulsair," he says. A primary reason is the labor-saving aspect. "I'm a one-per- son show in the winery," he says. He also liked the results he saw when he worked with the technology at Monterey Wine Co., a custom-crush facility in King City, Calif. LaZarre says he compared some Pulsair lots with wines that had been put through pump overs. He thought that Pulsair provided better tannin management because extraction could be more carefully controlled. The system he is installing can be switched between using compressed air and inert gas, so he also 444 Laguna Vista Road Santa Rosa, CA 95401 e-mail: vickitec@aol.com www.transitionequipment.com Tel: (707) 537-7787 Fax: (707) 537-7174 Cell: (707) 484-8776 Wines & Vines MARCH 2012 47 Automated versions save labor The labor-saving aspect can be huge with the automated systems: You just program how often and for how long you want the air pulses. Brunhaver described a large winery, which he wouldn't identify, that installed a Pulsair system in 40 tanks. The winery was able to cut 11 workers from each of two shifts. But for many wineries, the main reason for using it is the gentleness of the process. That's why Luisa Ponzi, winemaker at Ponzi Cellars in Beaverton, Ore., likes it. Although she doesn't use Pulsair every year, she employs it for vintages "where that use of air is impor- tant (because of reduction issues), or I want to be more gentle" because the grape clusters are fragile. She also uses it for mixing additions into her white wines. "It's really a great tool," she says. However, she notes that it's possible to overuse it. Too much can strip color and aromatics, she says. "There's a learning curve at first." Brunhaver acknowledges that overuse of Pulsair can be a problem. If you run it for too long, he says, "you make mush out of the wine." Brunhaver also says that the process, used properly, provides more uniform extraction and eliminates hot spots in the fermentation tank. Winemaker Neil Collins, for one, hasn't seen much of a downside. Although Collins, winemaker for Paso Robles, Calif.-based Tablas Creek Vineyard, says he was a skeptic at first, he now sees Pulsair as a good tool. "It seems to be gentle and effective. We've seen absolutely no detriment," he says. "Wines come out soft and supple." Videos of a small Pulsair unit being used for winemaking are posted on pulsair.com and pneumatage.com.