Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/619725
40 WINES&VINES January 2016 WINEMAKING uses Mannostab on those reds that require tartrate stability. The company makes wines at custom-crush facilities that charge per gallon for tartrate stability via chilling. Comparatively, Kandarian notes, CMC is "incredibly cheaper." Additionally, the treatment pre- vents tartrate lees losses, and there is no guessing with regard to tim- ing. Kandarian states, "It's pretty lights on," and has yet to see a problem in two years of use. He follows Laffort's standard checklist and makes sure Davis conductivity tests are run. Kandar- ian advises that Celstab won't make wine cal- cium stable, so calcium stability analyses need to be run. Finally, he suggests winemakers buy for their immediate needs only, as Laffort pre- fers the unopened packages be used as quickly as possible. Single-tank sized chillers For those wanting to continue with refrigera- tion but reduce energy costs, Gus Schweiger of Scientific Environments Inc. in Napa sug- gests a portable, single-tank sized chiller. Sch- weiger explains that much of the energy bill comes from bringing your primary chiller down to 20° F, yet that temperature is only needed for tanks undergoing tartrate stabili- zation. In addition, as chiller temperature approaches 20° F, it takes exponentially more energy to lower the chiller temperature. A portable chiller can provide efficient tank chilling while keeping your main chiller at an energy-conserving temperature. Kandarian used a similar system at a previous winery with good results. Final notes Understand that both old and new methods are either subtractive (refrigeration, STARS) or additive (mannoproteins and CMC) and therefore may have an effect on wine quality, which is in the nose and palate of the be- holder. In nearly every interview, the winemaker stated that they ran trials and found that the method they chose to use provided better wine quality than the others. A couple thought the treatment had no effect on wine quality. Operationally, these new meth- ods work. Each reduces process time, provides cost and labor sav- ings, reduces lees losses and is aligned with sustainability efforts. That said, do your homework. Contact these suppliers and make them your partners. Do lab scale tests prior to commercial use. For tartrate stabilization, the pioneers have settled the frontier for you. Andy Starr, founder of StarrGreen (starrgreen.com), is an entrepreneur, marketing manager and winemaker who provides strategy, management and business de- velopment consulting services. A resident of Napa Val- ley, Calif., he holds a bachelor's degree in fermentation science from the University of California, Davis, and an MBA from UCLA. He lectures about the importance of business plans at Napa Valley College. Sanitary Stainless Welding Inc. is the exclusive North American distributor for the Marzola product line TARTRATE STABILIZATION SUPPLIERS Company Phone Website Agrovin USA (707) 387-0810 agrovin.com Enartis Vinquiry (707) 838-6312 enartisvinquiry.com Erbslöh Geisenheim Inc. (212) 315-2196 erbsloeh.com/en Laffort USA (707) 775-4530 laffortusa.com Oenodia (707) 486-4651 oenodia.com Pacific Winemaking LLC (503) 419-7942 pacificwinemaking.com Pickering Winery Supply (415) 474-1588 winerystuff.com Scott Laboratories Inc. (707) 765-6666 scottlab.com For more information about the suppliers listed above, visit winesandvines.com/ buyersguide or see Wines & Vines' 2016 Buyer's Guide.