Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/830382
32 WINES&VINES June 2017 WINEMAKING N ew and established wineries are taking advan- tage of the latest winemaking equipment to trim labor costs and make winemaking opera- tions safer and more efficient. Optical sorting systems and new technology that enables a winemaker to remotely manage and monitor multiple pumpovers may require a large initial investment, but the efficiencies and savings in labor help make those costs pencil out. For the 2016 vintage, Tamber Bey Vineyards in Calis- toga, Calif., invested in a new Vitisort optical-sorting ma- chine by Key Technology. Winemaker Frederic Delivert says the machine reduced the amount of overtime paid during harvest and delivered clean grapes. "To me it's true that this is the only way to sort," he said. "Overall it's a huge improvement." Delivert said sorting and processing can now be handled by a forklift driver and cellar worker, allowing the interns to start pumpovers earlier and be finished earlier. (See the related Technical Spotlight article on page 38.) Tamber Bey uses a Bucher Vaslin Oscillys machine to destem the grapes prior to sorting with the Vitisort. Titus Vineyards uses the same destemmer in its new winery, which was built in time for the 2015 harvest. The Oscillys employs a swinging cage that separates the berries from their stems with centrifugal force. At Titus Vineyards, the Oscillys is fed with an elevated conveyor by Carlsen & Associates and then emptied onto a shaker table for berries to undergo additional hand sorting. Winemaker Stephan Cruzan said he was impressed by the Oscillys. "Any stems that came through were really pretty big actually; they were really easy for the sorters to pick out, so the fruit going into the must pump was really clean," Cruzan said in a September 2016 report about the new winery. Also built in time for harvest, the new Davis Estates win- ery in Calistoga uses an Oscillys destemmer, but owner Mike CODY GEHRET PHOTOGRAPHY New Equipment for a Safer, Quicker Crush Wineries invest in the latest equipment for sorting, destemming, pumping, pressing and fermenting By Andrew Adams The crush pad at the new Davis Estates winery in Calistoga, Calif., features a new oscillating destemmer and optical sorter.