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76 WINES&VINES August 2016 WINEMAKING WINE EAST S mall wineries have multitudi- nous obstacles when making high-quality wines. In many re- spects, as home winemakers who have become commercial winemakers will attest, it is easier to make 5,000 gallons of quality wine than it is to make 5 gallons. So much of wine- making is influenced by scale. The smaller the vessel in which wine is produced and stored until bottling, the more the negative influences (such as oxygen) can detract from the quality of the wine. It has to do with surface-to-volume ratios, the opening and closing of the vessel and many other factors. For example, it takes the same amount of time to open a 5-gallon vessel, remove a sample for analysis and close the container as it does to open and close a 5,000-gallon vessel. But the impact on the wine is many times greater in the 5-gallon vessel. Consequently, new techniques for managing small-lot production are some of the more im- portant introductions to the wine industry. Small wineries are the backbone of the industry, and the creative outlet they bring to the industry is important for its development and manage- ment. Additionally, methods that aid in quality development often require expensive equipment that small wineries cannot afford. They can also take time away from other winemaking prac- tices, which compromises quality. Technology that can help achieve the goal of better wine for smaller wineries can be transformative. Just prior to the 2015 harvest, I learned about an intriguing new way to manage fer- mentations in small wineries. Vijay Singh, an entrepreneur who sold his biomedical business and started his own winery, had developed a different technique for use with small to me- dium-sized fermentations. The product, known as GOfermentor, is designed to minimize water use and to help with the natural "messiness" of harvest. Singh's product was in the latter stages of develop- ment, but I had the opportunity to use one of his systems during the 2015 harvest, and I have spoken with others who are testing the system. The theory behind the GOfermentor is to con- tain the juice during fermentation in a bag that is large enough to hold 1 ton of grapes and can be sealed off from exposure to air. The bag is supported by a specially designed bin similar in size to a 1-ton harvest bin. How GOfermentor works The GOfermentor fermentation bag has several access points where yeast, amendments and other materials can be added before the start of fermentation as well as filling the bag and more. Before the grapes are put in the bag, a temperature probe is inserted to monitor fer- mentation temperature, and an exhaust fitting is enabled to allow CO 2 to escape. A secondary bag attached to one side of the GOfermentor comprises the compression compartment; a tube attached to the secondary bag is then connected to a control manifold. At the time of harvest, 1 ton of grapes is crushed and sent directly into the fermentation bag. When air is pumped into the secondary bag through a tube, the air bag then pushes against Fermenting Wine Grapes in a Bag The GOfermentor enables quality improvement in small wineries By Richard Carey KEY POINTS GOfermentor is a new method of managing fer- mentations of 1-ton lots of grapes. A large plas- tic bag with two compartments is placed in a specially designed bin. After crushing, the grapes are put in one compartment and sealed. As the second compartment is filled with air, it pushes against the grape bag, which forces juice through the cap. A major advantage of the GOfermentor is the reduction of water use in the winery. The cellar stays clean during fermentation, and cleanup after fermentation is easy because pomace stays in the bag, which is recyclable. The GOfermentor system gives a winemaker flex- ibility in managing small or odd-size lots of grapes. A controller hangs on the side of a specially designed bin, while a bag housing fermenting grapes sits inside.