Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/684435
34 WINES&VINES June 2016 WINEMAKING His mantra is: "Turn everything on before you use it for real." He ad- vises others to lay out their equip- ment prior to harvest as a full line, as though they were crushing grapes. It will help winemakers to see what is broken or missing. Sort of like a training camp. 1 Planning tools: Hurliman makes use of three integrated planning spreadsheets. One is focused on grape tonnages, the second on bottling projections and a third on harvest supplies. They also have a pre-harvest checklist that includes minutiae such as counting and testing flashlights. 2 Daily and weekly produc- tion plans: During harvest, Hurliman will assemble a complete production plan for the next day. He notes it "allows the crew to understand what the day will bring and what the priorities are as things change." Similarly, at the end of the week, the assistant winemaker working with Hurliman produces the next week's harvest plan laid out day by day. Starting with a weekly plan provides visibil- ity to everyone and allows for better discussions about wine capacity. 3 Equipment preparation for harvest: a. Delta destemmer and De- franceschi conveyor are serviced internally. b. Presses: In June, their ven- dor services both Diemme presses from top to bottom. c. Pumps: The Ragazzini Peristaltic must pump as w e l l a s w i n e t r a n s f e r pumps are opened up and serviced internally. d. Other cellar equipment: Herzog's Della Toffola cross- flow filter as well as every valve, must line, hose and p u m p o v e r d e v i c e a r e checked and turned on prior to harvest (and cleaned once more). This process starts at the end of July. e. Utilities: Boilers, refrigera- tion and air compressors are serviced multiple times per year by equipment pro- viders. Same for forklifts. 4 Supplies: Hurliman starts the ordering process early, giving vendors an estimate of harvest needs in January, and has everything completely tied up by June. The winery uses some infre- quently produced yeast strains and stays in close contact with the yeast supplier. They will even order an extra year's yeast supply if needed. 5 Barrels: All barrels are ordered in March, and white wine barrels are de- livered at the end of July; some reds arrive at the end of August, others in January. 6 Staffing: Like Groth, Her- zog tries to have harvest staff onboard one month prior to crush. They can help do pre-harvest cleaning and sanita- tion as well as safety training. Planning allows Hurliman to worry less during harvest. He notes that "planning and experience give you confidence that there may be ways around a production prob- lem." Finally, he offers some useful http://www.angelfire.com/ca5/RandDGlass Hiring staff and ordering equipment and supplies well in advance of harvest can make the busy season (seen here at Herzog Wine Cellars) go more smoothly. KATTARINA OSWAKS