Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/658375
56 WINES&VINES April 2016 WINEMAKING TECHNICAL SPOTLIGHT Caroline Hoogenboom Napa - Sonoma - East Coast Cell. (707) 364-6334 caroline@ermitageusa.com Amy Lee Oregon - Washington - California Central Coast Cell. (509) 995-2771 amy@ermitageusa.com Offce: 1285 S. Foothill Blvd Cloverdale, CA 95425 Ph: (707) 224-2377 Fax: (707) 224-2390 SANITIZING WITH UV LIGHT It should come as no surprise that winemaker Chris Russi uses the new BlueMorph ultraviolet sanitation system. He was a member of the team that developed the technology and is a partner in the new company. BlueMorph made its official debut in 2015 with a system that it devel- oped with Tom Beard and P&L Specialties in Santa Rosa, Calif. The concept behind BlueMorph is relatively simple: Large, ultraviolet lights take the place of chemicals to provide the final step for sanitizing tanks. BlueMorph's founder is Alex Farren, who has a background in science and spent the 2009 harvest working at Thomas George Estates in Sonoma County when Russi was the winemaker there. Russi said he and Farren were talking about alternative methods of sanitizing one day when Farren mentioned UV lights. "He came up with the idea, and funny enough I'd just purchased a little UV light for sanitizing water while camping," Russi recalled. Over the course of the harvest, Farren kept working on the idea while Russi would provide insight and practical advice about how to incorporate UV technology into a piece of equipment that would work well in a winery. Noah Bareket, an optical scientist and research and development expert, joined the team later as co- founder and chief scientific officer. Ultimately the team settled on a product that reflects the light of UV bulbs onto all interior areas of a tank. Russi said the team worked with a third party to determine the intensity of light needed to sani- tize a surface and tested prototypes with a photometer to ensure their product was providing adequate intensity for sanitation. After working with a few designers that didn't fully grasp the intricacies of wine production, Russi said they linked up with Tom Beard and developed the current model, which they have already sold to Jackson Family Wines. The company's first offering was the UVT200K, which is designed to be pushed through the bottom hatch of a tank; the lights are then raised into an upright position to illuminate the interior of the tank. A smaller unit, the UVT6K, is lowered down through the top hatch by its sturdy power cord. The UVT200K is for tanks from 1,500 to 300,000 gallons, while the UVT6K is for tanks up to 20,000 gallons in size. The company claims most tanks can be sanitized in less than 30 minutes. Russi said from the start that they'd never sell anything unless the UV lights could sanitize as well or better than existing products. Blue- Morph's lights have proved equal to existing methods, he said, and the potential savings on water and chemicals give it a competitive edge.