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WINEMAKING TECHNICAL SPOTLIGHT 34 WINES&VINES April 2018 Production at the new winery is managed by winemaker Nate Weis, whose office is at the Alexander Valley facility. The new winery is designed for flexible, high-quality Cabernet production. Grapes arrive on trucks, in half- ton bins or gondolas from Silver Oak's new Pellenc harvesters. If already destemmed and sorted, the grapes are transferred directly to tank via Waukesha must pumps. Those lots that do require some sorting are dumped onto an elevated conveyor that leads to the Cluster Thruster, a patented oscillating conveyor manufactured by P&L Specialties that empties to an Armbruster RotoVib destemmer sold in the United States by Scott Laboratories. The destemmed berries are then moved by must pump to one of many tanks of varying capaci- ties manufactured by Santa Rosa Stainless Steel. The winery also has a few square tanks by La Garde and several small, portable Tran- Store tanks by Custom Metalcraft. Each tank used for fermentation is outfitted with an independent pump-over pump that is moni- tored and can be controlled via the TankNet system. The large cellar is filled with natural light as well as LED lights that turn on or off de- pending on motion sensors. Those working in the cellar and throughout the winery also can take advantage of a premium music system. Grapes are carried by elevated conveyors to a Cluster Thruster dosing table that feeds an Armbruster RotoVib destemmer. DAMION HAMILTON