Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/684435
TECHNICAL SPOTLIGHT WINEMAKING June 2016 WINES&VINES 45 • Prevents vapor loss • Equalizes room humidity • Balances room temperature • Minimizes microbe and TCA contamination Reduce "Angel's Share" + "topping off" losses BARREL STORAGE HUMIDIFICATION Contact Ed Guinee & Associates Napa Valley Dealer (916) 944-3526 www.microcool.com PRECISION FOGGING EXPERTS State-of-the-art Humidifi cation Technology Many of the energy-saving features are incorporated within the fabric of the build- ing, leaving little for the winemaking team to manage. Vents in the roof open to allow warmer air to escape while floor-level fans draw cooler air in. The slab floor, which encases plumbing, provides an insulating layer that helps regulate interior temperatures. "We are barely actively cooling anything," Howe says. "It's about 55° F in here most of the time, so it's a good temperature for wine." Regulating costs The features combined to deliver a facility at a cost in line with the retail value of the wines being made. Stoller's Legacy tier retails for $70 per bottle, while its reserve tier retails for $35 to $45 per bottle; by contrast, the Dundee Hills tier made in the new building sells for $25 to $30 per bottle. (Stoller declined to disclose specific costs per square foot.) The biggest expense was a 309 kilowatt solar array made from 944 photovoltaic panels on the building's roof, but it also has the potential to pay for itself because the w i n e r y ' s e n e r g y r e q u i r e m e n t s a r e l o w enough that the array often generates more power than the winery needs at any given point in time. "We're kicking back to the grid most of the year," Howe says. Portland General Electric credits Stoller for excess energy returned to the grid; if Stoller supplies more energy than it uses, PGE donates the credits to the utility's low-income assistance fund. Being responsible Other elements also reflect the winery's com- mitment to socially responsible business prac- tices that check many of the boxes consistent with LEED certification as a matter of course. Together, they're a sign of just how much 7 0 7 - 6 8 1 - 5 7 0 0 | S A L E S @ B A R R E L S A F E . C O M THEY'RE BARRELS, NOT BRICKS. Bricks are fine being stacked one on top of another. Barrels, though, belong tucked safely into racks. Reading them bedtime stories is entirely up to you. B a r r e l s a f e . c o m A rooftop solar array supplies the new facility with power and returns excess to the grid. STOLLER FAMILY ESTATE