Category: Winery Info

Trouble Shooting Your Chiller System

Cyndi
man speaking in front of a wine chiller system

By: Tom Payette – Winemaking Consultant

This should be your first resource before contacting your refrigeration guy/gal or chiller supplier.  It is hoped this document will take you or your winemaking team through some thought processes to help diagnose your chiller problem and to help you know the answers to their questions if you do need to call.   Use common sense in all features of what you do when trouble shooting your chilling unit.  Make sure to employ all proper “Lock out Tag out” procedures and to use all safety procedures known …. plus, good common sense.

  Make sure to have your manual for the unit handy and try to be somewhat familiar with the chilling unit.  If you are not familiar – it’s not too late to start learning your system!  What should your propylene glycol temperature be and what is the unit set on?

Understanding the Unit

  At some point, while your refrigeration person is on the premise already, question him or her about some of the operations of your chilling unit.  You will want to know : where the compressor is; the condenser; the expansion valve; where the transfer of cooling from the refrigerant to the glycol solution is located; cooling fan coil; compressed Freon line; expanded Freon line; the glycol chilling loop, the glycol chilling reservoir, electrical contacts if any etc.  Understand the basics so you can help communicate to your refrigeration person what is happening with your unit once you know something is wrong. Your supplier is also your best first resource in trouble shooting the unit.

So, Your Chilling Unit is Down or not Chilling Properly

Power: May sound silly but check to make sure the unit is getting the proper power.  Perhaps turn the unit off, reset the breaker and turn the unit back on again.  If the unit is not hard wired be sure to check the plug and see if one leg of the power has become weak/loose/disconnected/broken.  Use a volt meter and start to trace the power from the supply to the unit.  Has a phased dropped out from the power company or transformer?   From experience -this is possible.  You will be surprised how many times a service tech comes out to winery and simply traces the power and voila – you are billed for a heavy service charge for the flip of a breaker or resetting the male end of the power supply.  Use a volt meter and be very very safe.

Contacts and other electrical notes: Are contacts (if still equipped) pulling in when they should to engage certain motors or functions?  Do you know how to test them?  Are simple fuses all intact or do they need replacing?  If you “trick” the unit into doing a certain function – does the unit respond?  Do motors function independently when you ask them to?  [More of an over-ride call for use].  Are there any flashing lights indicating a problem?   Your supplier should be able to talk you through much of this.

Amps: Do you have a volt meter and an amp meter?  Do you know how to use them to find out if you have power where you need to have power?  How many amps is the unit pulling?  How many amps should it pull?  Be careful.  These are electrical connection questions.

Sounds: Does the unit sound like it normally has and does?   You should listen for your chilling unit every time you enter and exit the building.   We can often hear our chilling unit from the crush pad.  Did you notice any odd sounds recently?  Did the unit cycle on and off frequently recently?  If equipped with belts – did you hear any belts squeal?

Smell: Has the unit given off any odd smells recently?  Does or did the unit smell hotter than typical.  Does the motor(s) feel the same as when the unit was working properly?  Are bearing areas hot?  “Singing bearings”?

Winery air temperature feel: With cellars and barrel rooms that use “Krack” style units to chill their tank room, barrel room and case goods area(s) one can often “feel” when something is not right with their chilling unit.   Often when visiting clients in the hotter summer months of July and August I can walk in their cellar and know that something is not operating properly.   Perhaps it is even as little as only one of the split units is not operating but it can be felt in humidity and temperature.  They are just limping along on one half of their system and they don’t know it.  This is all part of being keenly aware of your mechanical issues at a winery.

Expanded refrigerant and compressed refrigerant lines: Often the compressor will have a line that carries Freon (refrigerant) to and from the expansion coil.  Have you felt those lines when the unit is working properly?  (Be careful) Do they feel the same as when you felt them during normal operation?  Is one sweating and the other not?  Is one or both frozen?  When was the Freon last checked and charged?  Do you see the Freon sight gauges and do they look proper?  No bubbles, etc.  What are they showing and can you describe what you see to a technician?

Glycol strength: The chilling unit chills the glycol water mix that is pumped through supply and return lines connected to the tanks.  Is that heat transfer happening properly?  What temperature setting is the unit set to chill the glycol to?  Has this been changed as seasonally winemakers may do this?  Has the glycol strength been tested lately?  These are all questions you and your chilling technician will need to answer and explore.  Have solid answers for them when on the phone to help them before they arrive at your place.  It will save you $$.

Simple glycol test: Take a small amount of glycol from the reservoir of the glycol tank.  Make sure it is a representative sample of the glycol in all the lines.  Take a calibrated standard refractometer and place several drops of glycol on the refractometer just as you would checking a brix of grape juice.  If the reading is at or near 27 brix then the glycol strength is about 35%.   If the reading is near 24 brix then the glycol is near 30% strength.   Please double check this quick test with your refrigeration expert to see if they agree.  Suppliers of glycol have been known to, free of charge, receive a 300 milliliter sample of your glycol water mix and with have their lab test it for strength, inhibitor function and several other tests that may or may not be meaningful to you or your technicians.  [ Note : Some units now come with their own dedicated glycol testing refractometer style measuring tools ]

Glycol dye: Many wineries find great application to adding a dye to their glycol system.  This can be blue, orange, red or any other color.  As many off us know water, glycol and white wine often look reasonably similar.  Sweating glycol lines and connections are often tough to distinguish between water or leaks in the glycol line.  If you see, for example, a liquid on the floor of your cellar or on a chilling pipe that is blue – you know this is glycol.

Pump (most likely centrifugal): Is the pump that pumps the glycol working properly?  Has it stopped running?  Is it pulling the amps that it should?  Does it feel hot or is it iced up at the pump head.  Does anything look abnormal?  Do you have pictures of what the pump head should look like when operating properly?   What is the pressure on this closed system loop?  Are you getting ample pressure to move the glycol through the lines, jackets of tanks and krack units?  Did someone open a valve that may have lowered the pressure mistakenly?  Look for the obvious and simple.

Fans: Are all the fans and compressors engaging as they should?  Turn the unit (glycol temperature) down and wait an appropriate time (5 minutes +/-).  Have extra fans kicked in to pull the extra heat load out?   A call for more cooling, while setting this temperature thermostat low, should have more fans that should kick on.  All of the compressors should be functioning and the unit should be trying its best to meet the needs of the thermostat.   Do you know what this full need looks like?  Have your chilling tech show at one of their less urgent visits.

Summary

  Get to know your chilling unit.  What a major part of what we do in winemaking.  Walk out there right now and listen to it while watching it run.  Take a video of it.  Do your best to trouble shoot and gather information your own chilling unit before calling your chilling tech.  It can save thousands of dollars.  Often, too, you will discover simple things that have gone wrong while getting to know your chilling unit even better. Often the same thing will go wrong, repeatedly, and lead toward a more final diagnoses of a smaller problem.  Perhaps terms like contacts, set limits, pressure limits switches and a whole host of other higher tech terms. Perhaps the repeated chilling problems will help encourage your winery to stock that part or item that repeatedly gives trouble.  Simply calling your refrigeration guy, in a continuous knowledge vacuum, can lead toward unwanted and unnecessary costs.  Even worse you will still know little about one of the most crucial pieces of equipment in the winery.  Inspect you unit most importantly during certain crunch periods of the year like an upcoming harvest.  Inform yourself and educate yourself about your specific chilling unit(s).  It’s fun and not really that complicated!

•   Know the basic operation of your chiller

•   Build a knowledge and vocabulary base

•   Use common sense and pay attention

•   Become less reliant in case of emergency

  A big thanks to Justin Thomas of G&D Chillers in Eugene Oregon for his assistance.

A Short and Quick Guide to Wine Importation Regulatory Process

Cyndi
row of Spanish wine bottles

By: Brad Berkman and Louis Terminello

Importing wine into the United State may initially seem like a daunting task. Licensing requirements and related matters appear to be complex with requirements at both the federal and state levels. With proper planning and guidance, the insurmountable becomes a manageable process. This article will act as a short guide to the initial licensing and regulatory concerns encountered by new importers.

Licensure At the Federal Level

  Importation of wine into the stream of commerce of the United States is regulated by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). Prior to importation, the potential importer must qualify to hold a TTB Basic Permit as an Importer. TTB examines the qualifications of the owners and officers through a personal questionnaire process that is executed under the penalty of perjury to ensure that the individual applicant is not impaired from holding the permit. Qualifications of applicants can be found in the Code of Federal Regulations. Printed below are the code sections showing the requirement for licensure and the required qualifications for licensure.

§ 1.20 Importers.

  No person, except pursuant to a basic permit issued under the Act, shall:

(a) Engage in the business of importing into the United States distilled spirits, wine, or malt beverages; or

(b) While so engaged, sell, offer or deliver for sale, contract to sell, or ship, in interstate or foreign commerce, directly or indirectly or through an affiliate, distilled spirits, wine, or malt beverages so imported.

§ 1.24 Qualifications of applicants.

  The application of any person shall be granted, and the permit issued by the appropriate TTB officer if the applicant proves to the satisfaction of the appropriate TTB officer that:

(a) Such person (or in case of a corporation, any of its officers, directors, or principal stockholders) has not, within 5 years prior to the date of application, been convicted of a felony under Federal or State law, and has not, within 3 years prior to date of application, been convicted of a misdemeanor under any Federal law relating to liquor, including the taxation thereof; and

(b) Such person, by reason of the person’s business experience, financial standing or trade connections, is likely to commence operations as a distiller, warehouseman and bottler, rectifier, wine producer, wine blender, importer, or wholesaler, as the case may be, within a reasonable period and to maintain such operations in conformity with Federal law; and

(c) The operations proposed to be conducted by such person are not in violation of the law of the State in which they are to be conducted.

  In conjunction with the personal questionnaire process, the applicant entity is disclosed including ownership structure. Among other things, certain signing authorization forms are prepared, and parties are assigned signing authority on TTB documents.

  In addition to the Importers Basic Permit, it is wise for the applicant to apply for a federal wholesaler’s permit. This permit will allow the licensee to ship alcoholic beverages in interstate commerce. The process for applying for this license is quite similar to the federal importers permit. For consistency purposes, below is a reprint of the code section establishing the requirement for this license.

§ 1.22 Wholesalers.

  No person, except pursuant to a basic permit issued under the Act, shall:

(a) Engage in the business of purchasing for resale at wholesale, distilled spirits, wine, or malt beverages; or,

(b) While so engaged, receive, sell, offer or deliver for sale, contract to sell, or ship in interstate or foreign commerce, directly or indirectly or through an affiliate, distilled spirits, wine, or malt beverages so purchased.

  Both federal permits, if the application process is managed properly and barring any unforeseen issues, should be issued within 45-60 days.

  It’s important to note that basic permits do not expire. They remain in effect until revoked, suspended, voluntarily surrendered or automatically terminated. Automatic termination can occur by operation of law when there is an unreported change in the licensed entity. In particular, change in ownership or stock transfers, among other things, must be reported to TTB on the appropriate forms within 30 days of the occurrence. If they are not reported, the basic permit will terminate by operation of law. It is essential that any contemplated change to the business be analyzed for its effect on the license and reported appropriately if required.

  As an additional note, the foreign winery/production facility must be registered with the FDA as a food facility. A registration number is assigned and must be available at the time of importation or the wine will not clear customs.

Product Approval

  Prior to importation, certain wines may be required to go through a formula approval process conducted by the TTB laboratory, though most do not. Generally, if there are added ingredients including flavorings, formula approval process is required. However, most wines produced and containing only grapes should not require formula approval. Other alcoholic beverages such as spirits and malt must be analyzed separately, as those products tend to have a more stringent formula approval process.

Certificates of Label Approval (COLA’s)

  All imported wine labels must be submitted to the TTB prior to importation and approved. Approval results in the issuance of a Certificate of Label Approval, more commonly called a COLA, which is required to be presented to US Customs at the port of entry, along with other documents.  TTB will examine the label to ensure that all mandatory labeling requirements are met. The wine label approval process can be complex, particularly for a first-time submitter. Certain pieces of information need to be affixed and positioned according to the regulations or the label will be rejected by TTB until brought into compliance. It would be beneficial, especially for the first-time submitter, to consult an expert when commencing the COLA process.

State Licensing

  As noted, TTB regulates the importation of beverage alcohol in foreign and interstate commerce. Prior to brand introduction in any state, it is incumbent on the importer to determine which state licenses are required prior to selling the wine within the borders of that state. As a general rule, some sort of non-resident permit is required, and often times brand registration as well. This is not a one-size-fits-all model, and these writers stress that each state’s requirements be examined carefully, and the appropriate licenses must be obtained.

The Growth of Baco Noir Grapes in Oregon’s Umpqua Valley

Cyndi
clusters of Baco Noir grapes

By: Becky Garrison

The origins of Baco Noir grapes can be traced back to the 1890s when phylloxera decimated Europe’s vineyards by eating away at the roots of the vines. As these native grapes (Vitis vinifera) possessed no inborn resistance to this microscopic louse, they began dying.

  Conversely, grapevines planted in North America proved to be resistant to phylloxera. So, researchers began to experiment with cross-pollinating American grape varieties with European Vitis vinifera to see if they could produce phylloxera-resistant vines that would grow in Europe.

  These experiments bore fruit in 1902 when botanist François Baco (1865-1947) released a hybrid grapevine called Baco 1 (also called Baco Noir) that he produced by crossing a Folle Blanche, a French white grape used for brandies from the districts Armagnac and Cognac, with a Vitis riparia species indigenous to North America. The result was an early budding grape with small- to medium-size bunches producing high yields that were low in tannin and high in acid. This early budding made the grapes susceptible to spring frosts and resistant to powdery and downy mildews. Also, these grapes did not have the foxy characteristics that many other 50 percent of vinifera hybrids express.

  In The Wine Bible, Karen McNeil notes how this grape was cultivated in Burgundy and the Loire Valley until France officially barred all hybrids from being grown in French vineyards. Since this grape was not included in the French register of authorized varieties, its area diminished to just 28 acres, as reported in 2008 by Jancis Robinson. However, this French-American hybrid was transported to North America in the 1950s, when it became popular in cooler climates where traditional vinifera varieties tend not to thrive. Among the more popular regions where one Baco Noir is grown include Upstate New York, Michigan, Oregon, Colorado, Ontario, Canada New York State, Canada, the Midwest and more recently, Oregon, with a particular focus on the state’s Umpqua Valley.

The Birth of Baco Noir in the Umpqua Valley

  According to winemaker Marc Girardet, in 1969, his parents, Philippe and Bonnie Girardet, took off in their VW bus from Northern California, heading northward in search of a place where they could live off the land and raise a family. Upon discovering Oregon’s Umpqua Valley, they purchased 54 acres of old sheep pasture and built a cabin.

  Over a bottle of wine in 1971, this Swissman-turned-Oregonian and his wife decided it would be fun to plant a vineyard. As there wasn’t much vineyard rootstock available in Oregon, they decided to search far and wide. Somehow, they made connections on the East Coast and discovered the Geneva, New York experimental hybrid grapes, along with the French-developed hybrid grapes such as Baco Noir and Marechal Foch.

  Philippe quickly seized onto these hybrid grapes because they could be grown naturally without the need for mildew or mold sprays. After a few road trips back east, they returned with a plethora of hybrid grapes, which would quickly become the largest collection of their kind on the West Coast. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, they grew these grapes in the family vineyard, along with some wild varieties like Landot Noir, DeChaunac and Chancellor.

  Initially, these varieties were mostly blended until 1990 when Philippe noticed Baco Noir grapes had more of a spicy, juicy, yet smooth flavor that stood out above the other hybrid grapes. So, he bottled this grape on its own. Marc recalls helping him sell the first bottles at several wine festivals in the mid-1990s. As he recounts, “The sales pitch was half  ‘Hey, look at this cool wine we made with grapes that aren’t sprayed with any chemicals’ and half ‘try this great wine, and see how amazing it tastes!'”

Baco Noir Grapes Pioneering Natural Wine Movement

  In Marc’s estimation, his father was quite a bit ahead of the curve with the natural wine angle because it didn’t really seem like anyone was aware or cared about natural wine back then. “This wine became a sensation based more on its smooth flavor profile than anything else,” he reflects.

  From the beginning, they chose to farm naturally without any pesticides and using locally sourced horse manure compost. They also chose to practice dry farming, as that practice maintains a small berry size while developing a deep root system. Post-harvest, the grapes are hand-sorted and then de-stemmed into open-topped vats. Next, Girardet hand-punches the grapes to produce a wine that is lightly pressed and racked to barrel for aging.

  The fruits of their labor can be seen in their 2007 Girardet Baco Noir, a vintage recognized by Matt Kramer in The Oregonian as one of Oregon’s best wines (May 31, 2009). He described Girardet Baco Noir ‘Southern Oregon’ 2007 as “a superb red wine: supple, smooth-textured, and with an uncommon refinement that makes it ideal for all sorts of red meats, salami or even just a good liverwurst sandwich.” Following this review, Girdet’s Baco Noirs continue to sell out.

  In Marc’s estimation, “There may be increased interest in Baco Noir (and some other hybrid grapes) because there is more awareness of the dangers of pesticides that traditional vinifera grapes are usually sprayed with. So maybe current knowledge has finally caught up with where Dad was in the 1990s.”

Growth of Baco Noir in Umpqua Valley

  Tyler Bradley, winemaker at Bradley Vineyards in Elkton, credits Philippe for the growing interest in Baco Noir in the Umpqua Valley. Phillip convinced Bradley’s father to plant these grapevines, citing this region’s cold climate as an ideal location to produce these bold reds. So, his father planted one acre, proving Philippe’s prediction was on target. Also, this grape proved very easy to grow once the vines were established, as it requires very little to thrive aside from some basic nutrients.

  Typically, Baco Noir grapes do not express the distinctive foxy aromas and flavors of other Vitis riparia varieties. Instead, they possess rich fruit tones, such as blueberry and plum. That said, Marc opines that even Baco Noir tends to be a little foxy. “This comes from the Vitis riparia in the genetics but is also the reason it is naturally mildew resistant. The foxiness can be appropriately minimized if the vines are grown on sunny, dry site that controls the vigor and if the wine is aged on some good oak for long enough.”

  Baco Noir tends to be constantly a few brix higher than Pinot Noir, a difference Bradley views as crucial to achieving the jamminess his customers prefer. As wine’s acidity remains very high until about 26-27 brix, this wine needs yeast with high alcohol tolerance to ferment to dry.

  Following Girardet and Bradley’s success with Baco Noir, Mike Landt of River’s Edge Winery in Elkton released a 2013 River’s Edge Baco Noir. The grapes for this wine came from the block of River’s Edge Baco Noir, which used to be a horse pasture and contained soil rich in nitrogen. This resulted in more vigorous vines that produced wines with more meaty and savory qualities.

  During this time, Melrose Vineyards (Roseburg, Oregon) began producing Baco Noir and was the first to explore making a fortified wine using the Baco Noir grape. Select winemakers also produce a Baco Noir rosé and use it in creating full-bodied red blends.

  Also, Stephen Williams, owner of Trella Vineyards (Roseburg, Oregon), paired Giradet’s Baco Noir with pizza for many years before he made Trella’s 2022 Pugilist Baco Noir using fruit sourced from two vineyards located in Elkton: Anindor and Elk Valley. He chose the term “pugilist” as it is a dated word for a fighter in a boxing match, which speaks to how Baco Noir is a “punchy” red wine. In addition to pizza, Baco Noir pairs very well with barbecued meats and other hearty fare.

Innovations and Trends in Winery Caps, Corks and Closures

Cyndi
cork person helping another cork person off a cork screw

By: Alyssa L. Ochs

Sealing up a bottle of wine with a cork or cap is one of the last things a wine producer does to prepare a finished product for consumers to enjoy. However, caps, corks and other types of closures should be much more than a final afterthought.

  The closure you choose for your wine preserves your precious creation and adds a sense of familiarity and distinction to your brand. The right closures prevent spoilage and oxidation, contribute to the desired aging process and enhance the design of your label. Even wineries that have been using the same closures since their first harvests may be interested to learn about innovations and trends in this industry, as well as sustainability initiatives that complement an eco-minded approach to winemaking.

  Here’s an update on what’s happening in the wine cap, cork, and closure industry to inspire your next bottling process.

Types of Wine Closures

  Natural cork is the most common and traditional type of wine closure, which gives bottles a classic and elegant look while adding subtle flavors to aging wine. Synthetic cork looks like natural cork but is made from plastic, which poses little or no risk of a potentially undesirable corky smell from trichloroanisole (TCA). Champagne and sparkling wine corks have elastic discs at the bottom and a mushroom shape. Agglomerate corks are made with granulates from natural cork production and can store wine for short periods of time in an affordable way. Meanwhile, capped corks combine natural and plastic materials to allow for the best of both worlds – limited oxygen interaction with the wine and an effective seal.

  Aside from corks, many wineries use caps to seal their wine bottles. Screw caps allow for easy opening and resealing while eliminating the risk of cork taint. You’ll often find wine bottles sealed with crown caps that are similar to the ones used on beer bottles. Crown caps are best for early consumption and most common with sparkling wines.

  A zork is a plastic, resealable wine closure with a top that peels off. It provides unique access to the wine and a good seal, but it’s best for wines that will be consumed promptly. A helix is a twist-off closure made from glass, offering a sense of elegance to premium wines. The company Vinolok offers glass closures with an original all-glass version, a duet of glass and wood, and collections of glass closures that come in creative, modern and playful shapes. Wine bottles can also be sealed with hermetic corks with a hinge and silicon enclosure. Hermetic corks are reusable and most commonly used after a bottle is opened so the remainder can be saved for later consumption.

Innovations in Wine Closures

  While screw caps used to be generally frowned upon in the upscale wine industry, they have been gaining popularity as viable alternatives to traditional cork. Screw caps provide reliable seals and consistent wine quality, and they do not present the risk of cork taint. Producers are getting creative with their screw caps by using attractive colors, designs and company logos.

  Similarly, significant improvements have recently been made in synthetic wine corks to help them more closely mimic the look and feel of natural corks. However, compared to natural cork, synthetic materials often allow for more consistent oxygen control and reduce the risk of wine tasting like the cardboard, wet newspaper, mold, or earthiness associated with cork taint. Although cork taint only affects a small percentage of bottles closed with natural cork, it is still a major concern in the industry.

  Another innovation in the industry is using nitrogen or argon gas preservation systems to help bottles stay fresh after opening. This innovation complements good wine closures to ensure freshness. Wineries can extend the life of bottles opened in their tasting rooms, and consumers can use them at home so they don’t feel obligated to finish entire bottles. You can now buy single-can, private wine preservers that deliver about 120 uses for about $10 to $20. The spray cans use inert nitrogen, argon and carbon dioxide to displace the oxygen that ruins wines to protect the freshness and flavor for days, months or even years.

Green Initiatives for Sustainability 

  However, some of the most exciting developments in wine closures make bottles eco-friendlier and more attractive to sustainability-minded consumers. One company, Vinventions, has been in business since 1999 and leads the way in innovative bottle closures. All Vinventions closures are manufactured with sustainability in mind and to help winemakers maintain control over the oxygen ingress after bottling.

  The company’s Green Line offers the first-ever certified zero-carbon footprint closure, with fully recyclable materials derived from sugarcane-based products. Its Blue Line products are recyclable and made with 50 percent raw materials from plastic recycling. Vinventions’ SÜBR closure is a polyurethane-free and taint-free micro-natural closure, and its Vintop screwcaps have multi-feature designs and liners for premium wines.

  Wineries may request samples of the closures on the Vinventions website to test them for their wines. The company aims to ensure that all of its closures are 100 percent recyclable, renewable or biodegradable by 2030, and it continues to invest in research and technology to improve product performance in the wine, spirits and olive oil industries.

Pros and Cons of Caps, Corks and Closures

  To help you make the best decision for your winery, here are the pros and cons of the most popular closure types to discuss with your team:

Natural Cork

Pros: • Adds subtle flavors to wine

• Recyclable, renewable and biodegradable

• Best for aging up to 10 to 25 years

• Traditional, ceremonial and romantic

Cons: • The potential of cork taint

• Variation in the consistency of corks

• Often cost more than screw caps

Synthetic Cork

Pros: • No cork taint risk like natural cork

• Durable with quality that has been improving recently.

• Affordable and cost-effective

Cons: • Public perception of them being for low-quality wines.

• Wine should be consumed within the first couple of years.

• Generally less effective seal than natural cork.

Composite Corks

Pros: • Consistent quality so the wine doesn’t taste moldy or musty.

• Adds elegance to high-end wines

• Cost-effective and affordable

• Made from renewable resources

Cons: • Costly for producers

• Not ideal for long-term aging

• Prone to breaking and crumbling

Screw Caps

Pros: • No risk of cork taint

• Easy opening and resealing

Cons: • It is not ideal for aging wine

• Best for early consumption

Crown Caps

Pros: • Easy to open

• Consistent and reliable seal

• Great for freshness and wine quality

Cons: • An unexpected closure among consumers

• Not ideal for all types of wine

• Limited aging potential

Glass Stoppers

Pros: • Attractive for luxury wines

• Distinguish your brand from competitors

• Reusable with an excellent seal

Cons: • More expensive than traditional closures

• It can be difficult to open

• It can allow in too much oxygen, damaging wine.

Zorks

Pros: • Easy and convenient to open

• Elegant appearance

• Becomes a reusable tasting cork once opened.

Cons: • Not ideal for long-term aging

   • It fits most, but not all, standard wine bottles.

   • More expensive than other closures

Industry Trends to Consider

  With all these variations, innovations and sustainability initiatives in mind, you might wonder how most wineries are handling their closures these days.

  There is a growing interest in sustainability initiatives and eco-friendly closures that don’t deplete the Earth’s resources or end up in landfills. This trend is perhaps the most notable in the industry right now. Wineries are showing their preferences for biodegradable corks and traditional cork alternatives in their packaging solutions. Cork technology is also being developed to ensure excellent wine preservation capabilities and sealing efficiency.

  Wineries are also becoming more creative and open-minded about their closures as closure manufacturers develop new ideas. Now is a great time to explore the aesthetic appeal of wine closures that go beyond purely functional purposes to stand out among the competition and attract new consumers. There is a growing demand for premium wines, which is where glass and other alternative closures can emerge and make a real impact.

  In the Wine Bottle Closures Market report for 2024-2031, researchers found that the global wine bottle closures market was worth $3,885.36 million in 2022 and will likely reach $5,459.4 million in 2028. Major manufacturers in this industry are Vinventions, Inspiral, Astro, Waterloo Container Company, Cork Supply and Orora. Other industry leaders to watch include Amorim, Interpack, Labrenta, Precision Elite, AMCOR, Federfin Tech, DIAM, MASilva, Guala Closures Group and Bericap.

  The market is growing steadily, with cork, screwcap and plastic closures most prevalent. It has bounced back since the COVID-19 pandemic and has seen rising demand levels and more interest in experimentation and innovation. Geography also plays a role in wine closure preferences, with traditional corks still dominating Europe, where traditions run strong, yet there is more variance in other parts of the world.

  Will this be the year your winery switches up your bottle closures and tries something new? The leading industry players mentioned above might be worth contacting and exploring further to see if their latest products and closure strategies could fit within your current operations and future winemaking goals.

The Refined Palette of Investment

Cyndi

Exploring Wine as a Strategic Asset

wine bottle laying on blue silk

By: Shana Orczyk Sissel – Founder, President & Chief Executive Officer of Banríon Capital Management

In a time period marked by the unpredictable swings of traditional markets, many investors are turning their attention to more tangible assets that provide not only financial returns but also offer a personal and luxurious experience. Among these alternatives, fine wine is becoming increasingly appealing. As a long-time observer and participant in the alternative investment space, I have seen a significant uptick in wine investment interest, particularly among investors aiming to diversify their portfolios while adding a uniquely personal touch.

Why Wine?

  The appeal of investing in wine is layered and robust. Historically, fine wine has shown remarkable resilience in the face of economic downturns, often outperforming traditional stocks and bonds during inflation and market instability. This resilience is largely due to wine’s status as a luxury item, with its value driven by limited supply and increasing global demand. The finite production of certain vintage wines means that as bottles are consumed, the remaining ones become rarer and potentially more valuable. This positions wine not just as a hedge against inflation but as a compelling means for capital preservation.

Wine Fundamentals for Investors

  For those new to wine investing, understanding the fundamentals is crucial. Key factors to consider include the reputation of the vineyard, the quality and rarity of the vintage, and proper storage conditions to preserve the wine’s value. Investing in wine requires a strategy for buying, storing, and eventually selling:

●     Selection: Focus on well-known regions like Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Napa Valley, which historically produce wines that appreciate in value.

●     Storage: Proper storage is critical and should be in a climate-controlled environment to protect the wine’s quality and longevity.

●     Insurance: Like any valuable asset, wine collections should be insured, especially as their market value increases.

●     Exit Strategy: Knowing when and how to sell is as important as knowing what to buy. Most fine wines reach a peak market value at a certain point of maturity.

Personalization at Its Best

  Investing in wine is a deeply personal experience. Each bottle has its own story, tied to its origin, vintage, and the subtleties of its taste. This personal dimension allows financial advisors to engage with their clients on a deeper level. Offering wine as dividends, for instance, instead of traditional cash payouts, forges a more meaningful connection between investors and their investments. Imagine the moment of pride an investor feels when uncorking a bottle from “their” vineyard’s wine while entertaining at home.

Strengthening Relationships

  For advisors, the wine industry offers a distinctive way to deepen client relationships. Discussing wines, sharing tastings, and exploring vineyards can be powerful relationship-building experiences. These interactions allow advisors to connect with clients in settings that extend beyond conventional business environments, fostering a sense of camaraderie and shared interest.

  In the same vein, effectively marketing a vineyard or winery to financial advisors can enhance these relationships further. Invite advisors to your property for tours, tastings, and in-depth discussions about your production process and business philosophy. When advisors are familiar with a vineyard’s story, its commitment to quality, and its unique offerings, they are better positioned to recommend these investments confidently to their clients.

Diversification Through Wine

  Wine offers substantial diversification benefits. Its low correlation with conventional financial assets like stocks and bonds means it can help smooth out portfolio volatility, providing steadier returns over time. Incorporating wine into an investment portfolio can act as a buffer against market swings, appealing to those seeking more stability in their investment journey.

Avenues for Investing in Wine

  There are several options when it comes to investing in wine, each offering unique benefits and risks. Direct ownership of bottles or cases is the most traditional method, providing control over selection and requiring knowledge of wine regions and proper storage. Alternatively, wine funds offer ease through professional management, though they lack liquidity and involve fees. Those preferring a more traditional market approach might consider wine stocks, which involve investing in publicly traded companies related to the wine industry. Wine futures, or “en primeur,” allow investors to buy wine before it is bottled, potentially at lower prices, but this comes with its own set of risks related to market and production quality.

  Emerging trends like wine exchange platforms and crowdfunding are modernizing wine investment. Exchange platforms provide transparency and liquidity, enabling the trading of wine much like stocks. Crowdfunding platforms let investors buy shares in vineyards or wine projects, reducing the barrier to entry and allowing participation in potential profits from wine production without substantial upfront investment. We work closely with advisors to help them tailor and better understand the investment options that work best for individual clients.

Seizing Opportunities in the Regulatory Landscape

  Recent shifts in regulatory frameworks have opened new avenues for winemakers and investors. With the ability to raise capital from the public more freely than before, vineyards and wineries can now explore new ways of funding their operations and expansions. However, despite the high demand, there are surprisingly few wine funds available, offering a niche yet potentially lucrative investment opportunity. A thorough understanding of the market and regulatory environment will ensure investors can identify and capitalize on the best offerings.

Targeting a Broader Investor Base

  The demographic of wine investors is expanding, with women in particular drawn to the combination of cultural appreciation, luxury, and investment potential that fine wine offers. Wineries have a significant opportunity to cater to this demographic, especially at tastings, which predominantly attract couples and women. Additionally, social media has introduced new marketing channels that are not only more cost-effective compared to traditional advertising channels like television, but also resonate strongly with the female market. Influencers can provide a personal touch and create authentic connections with products, while “mom memes” underscore wine’s cultural integration.

Global Market Trends

  The global wine market is experiencing significant shifts, influenced by changing consumer behaviors and economic conditions. According to Spherical Insights, the global wine market size is projected to reach $583 billion by 2032 with a compound annual growth rate of 5.7%. Emerging markets, especially in Asia and parts of Africa, are developing a robust appetite for luxury wines driven by increasing wealth and a growing middle class. As a result, demand is likely to keep rising, potentially pushing prices higher in well-established and emerging wine markets alike.

  In Europe and North America, consumption patterns are stabilizing, but the interest in high-quality, sustainable, and boutique wines is growing. This shift towards premium products supports higher price points and can enhance investment returns.

The Future of Wine Investing

  The future looks promising for the wine sector. As awareness of its benefits grows, more investors are likely to explore how wine can complement their portfolios. For newcomers, starting with a reputable wine fund can provide a secure and enlightening entry into the market, combining financial benefits with the pleasure of ownership.

The Last Sip

  Wine investing extends beyond simple asset acquisition; it’s about embracing a lifestyle and crafting a portfolio that mirrors personal tastes and passions. For those eager to incorporate sophistication and personalization into their investment strategy, wine offers an enticing path. Whether you’re a seasoned collector or new to the world of wine, the right investment strategy can transform every sip into not just a taste of exquisite craftsmanship but also a toast to financial prosperity.

As Founder, President & Chief Executive Officer of Banríon Capital Management Shana Orczyk Sissel helps independent advisors navigate the complex world of alternative investing, bridging the gap between public and private alternative investment opportunities. Additionally, she assists clients with investment platform development, alternatives in portfolio construction and developing best practice in alternative investment due diligence. In this role, Ms. Sissel assisted in the launch of Armada ETF Advisors, and served as a key advisor in the firm’s recent launch of its first ETF product, the Home Appreciation U.S. REIT ETF (HAUS).

Bottling Day Tips and Tricks

Cyndi
two people talking in front of wine bottles on a bottling conveyor

By: Tom Payette – Winemaking Consultant

This article is a sequel to the previous article on bottling.  It applies not only to mobile bottling but also any bottling line quality control a winemaker may be a part of.  Each line has its own Critical Control points so use this article as a foundation to build on for your specific bottling operation/mobile bottler.  Winemakers – it’s time to be on your toes!

  Make sure your wines are ready, free sulfur dioxide adjusted and at the appropriate temperature for the bottling.  Makes sure the dissolved gases such as oxygen and carbon dioxide are where you want them and measured if possible.  The wine should be filtered to the appropriate micron rating prior to the days bottling and mixed well to provide uniformity in each bottle.  If chasing the wine surface, in the tank, downward with a nitrogen blanketing gas – be sure to have that system in place.

Start of sanitation:  Be sure the sanitation proce

dure of the bottling line is being done to satisfaction.  If steaming be sure to reference in a previous article on that subject and if performing a pressure hold test on the cartridge filter after steaming be sure to consult that article for details.  Be a team player to achieve the best possible sterile conditions prior to having the wine enter the bottling line.  Make sure corker jaws are clean and any areas that may affect the wines long term bottle integrity are well within range.

Inspect raw materials/dry goods:  The best time to look over the dry materials and packaging goods is upon receipt at the winery – allowing time for any potential corrections with suppliers.  Place capsules on bottles, inspect labels for proper size and printing, assemble packaging in full bottles and review the actual shelf presence.  During bottling be sure to monitor, by way of random sampling, the actual process before or while bottles are going through the line.  Empower case packers to keep a keen eye, also, as quality control agents, before they place finished bottles in the case box.

Bottles:  Be sure to inspect bottles during the bottling process.  Feel them – are they out of round?  Are the necks straight?  Feel inside for the proper irregularity inside the bottle assisting to keep the cork in (discard these bottles after doing so for sanitation reasons).  Check with calipers if any irregularities are found.

Corks, closure:  Inspect these items and test for any taints or manufacturing irregularities.  Soak corks and allow for taint issues to form or have them tested for TCA detection well ahead of bottling.  During the bottling process look for creases caused by corker jaws or disks (looking like small watermelon slices) coming off and identify why they are happening.  Lay bottles on their side and inspect for leaks.  Use a vacuum needle gauge to monitor any irregular pressures/vacuum inside the bottles randomly (remove cork after doing so and place back to be recorked).   [For a free parts list to build an inexpensive vacuum needle gauge to be used on cork closures please contact my office at 540-672-0387 and supply your postal mailing address.]   Identify your ranges of tolerance here if any.   Screw caps and their bottles have exact tolerances so make sure these two pieces of the package come together properly.

Oxygen:  Use an oxygen meter at critical control points to understand each process, its oxygen uptake and understand its ramifications.  The first place to sample for oxygen is in the tank.  The second place to check is after filling in a bottle and the third place is after closure of the bottle with a cork, screw cap or other closure.  Purchase an oxygen meter and use it once you understand how to use it and what the corrections are.

Labels:  Be sure to inspect how the labels are being applied and what the end results are.  Are the labels correct for the product?  What is their height position?  Is the back label appropriate?  Is the spacing between the two where desired?  Is the adhesion taking place?  Are the bottles sweating?  Are they level?  ( A great way to check this on the line is to find a level spot and compare two bottles against each other by spinning one bottle next to the other – is there a rise or fall in where the two labels meet?).

Conformity:  If the line used has many “heads” or stations be sure to compare the products from each station.  Are conditions equal and appropriate coming from each head?  If possible identify the problematic area and help the technician zero in on the problem.

Listen (One of the absolute best tools, even with ear protection):  Listen and use your ears while monitoring the line and while wearing ear protection.  You will be amazed at how many issues/problems you will notice simply by listening and hearing machines malfunction.  Examples of this could be the corker, vacuum assist to the corker, missed capsule application, bearings “singing” on foil spinners and other motors.  You will hear labeler mishaps.  Many air functions, solenoids and motor noises can be your first clue as to what machine to scrutinize and when.  Find the rhythms of your individual line and look for miss beats or out of ordinary sounds.

Smells:  Another area to be alert is our refined winemaker noses!  We seem especially adapted to smelling motors over heating, belts in distress, bottles that may have a moldy smell and corks with off odors.  Often wine that may be leaking at the bottling line can be detected by smell also but this can be less common.

Feel:  Another area I have found helpful is feel.  Feel machines as they are running properly.  Get to know their feel.  If machines are suspect of acting up – please your hand on the machine to see if the feel is the same as you recalled.  This can also be true of the track and actual floor of the bottling room.  Don’t overlook this obvious sense.

Sight:  Be sure, when the machines are running properly, to open the covers and to watch any mechanical cams, switches, chains, belts and learn what activates them and when.  Some people actually take movies/videos of the underneath of the machine so they can compare.  Be sure to keep your hands out of the machinery.  Once you have seen the machine and how it properly runs you will be better at diagnosing problems if and when they do occur.  Do where safety goggles when near the bottling line.

Manuals:  When possible have manuals on hand and ready for review.  Have a general knowledge of each machine and how to adjust it. 

Measure:  Measure anything that needs confirming to be affective.  This may include filler spout temperatures during steaming, membrane integrity after steaming, fill height level and consistency, cork insertion or screw cap tolerances, vacuum/pressure underneath the closure (see above under corks), temp of the wine, dissolved oxygen, label placement, capsule application and  the list goes on. 

Keep records:  Certainly everyday at the bottling line is a different one.  Some of this is inconsistent dry goods or packaging goods, sometimes it is the machines and other times it is the wine.  When encountering problems try and keep records as to what the issue was and suspected cause to be better prepared for future bottlings.  Fix the problems when the line is dormant or out of use if possible.

Supplier specs. – Start focusing on what is tolerable in your winery bottling process and start placing orders with suppliers detailing those specifications.   During these challenging economic times we are seeing many packaging material issues that have been frustrating to winery owners and bottling teams alike. Anything not conforming to the winery specifications supplied may give an opening for issues to be resolved favorably for the winery. 

Summary:  Be on your guard and take charge.  This is the last step while capturing, in bottle, all of your long hard work from the months and years previous.  The hard grape growing seasons forward.  This is a time to be extra critical of how the process is being done and to make sure your product has the best possible chance to be as superior and excellent as you had made it.  Speak up when appropriate, speak to operators and know when to have the line stop if the integrity of your wine is being compromised.  Make sure, also, to deliver to the bottling line a wine that is ready for bottling.  Be proactive, timely and keep a level head all while being extremely attentive that day.  Success!

8 Proven Ways to Elevate Winery Revenue in a Changing Market

Cyndi
two people clinking their champagne glass

By: Jonathan Smalley, President and CEO of SmaK Plastics

The Times They Are A-Changin

According to CNN, global wine consumption has fallen about 6% between 2017 and 2022. Consumers have changed their drinking habits and inflation has eroded their disposable income.  That means nearly 1.9 billion fewer wine bottles were consumed last year than in 2017.

  Today, operating a successful winery requires more than just producing exceptional wines.

It demands a strategic approach to maximize operations space, production and labor, reduce overhead costs, and increase revenue and create growth.

•   The wine industry is evolving. Gen X-Z tastes are changing.

•   Wineries are at the intersection of artistry and business acumen.

•   Behind the scenes, winemakers and CFOs grapple with OpEx challenges.

•   At the same time, retail shelf space is getting more crowded – with flavored beverages.

  In this article, we will explore proven methods to increase winery revenue.

1.  Diversify Offerings to Attract a Broader Audience: An effective method to boost winery revenue is by diversifying product offerings to appeal to a wider customer base. While the core product remains wine, expanding into related areas such as events, food, and merchandise can significantly increase revenue streams.

     Silver Oak Cellars has successfully diversified its offerings. In addition to its acclaimed Cabernet Sauvignon, the winery hosts events like wine dinners and tastings. The winery’s online store also features branded merchandise, from glassware to clothing.

2.  Create a shelf space strategy – Evaluate and create modernized, distinctive labeling. Craft an eye-catching and distinctive packaging design for your Wine Club offers. Consider packaging that not only highlights your brand but also communicates the craft and quality of your wine.

     Create open communication with distributors and retailers about your differentiation and process. Collaborate on promotional events (where legal). Utilize data to ID regional preferences to tailor your product assortment. Consider P-O-S displays that showcase the craftsmanship behind your wines. Utilize shelf talkers and promotional signage to highlight unique tasting notes, food pairings, and any awards or accolades your wines have received        

3.  Expand Specific Production to Match Trends – Create craft beverages that meet emerging trends. Be a trendsetter. Consider new methods to expand your production to deliver new flavors that buyers want.

     Be aware: Buying used oak barrels used can sound affordable, but is risky. Used barrels can come with risk of bacterial contamination as well as a lower impartment of oak. And used tanks are not warranted by manufacturers.

4.  Implement Wine Club Memberships for Customer Loyalty – A new, modern wine club can create a loyal customer base, consistent revenue and a strong sense of community. Offer exclusive benefits such as early access to new releases, discounts on purchases, and members-only events.

     Ridge Vineyards is known for its exceptional Zinfandels and Cabernet Sauvignons. Ridge has a well-established wine club called the Monte Bello Collector Program. Members receive allocations of limited-production wines, invitations to member-only events, and access to library releases. This not only generates consistent revenue for the winery but also strengthens the connection between the brand and its customers.

5.  Enhance Online Presence and E-commerce – In the digital age, an online presence is crucial for wineries. Establishing a user-friendly website, utilizing social media, and implementing e-commerce capabilities can broaden a winery’s reach and drive sales directly to consumers. Invest in strong brand visibility and “edutainment.” Provide insight. Engage with your audience online and offline to create a community around your brand. A strong and recognizable brand can attract attention from retailers and consumers, and lead to increased shelf space.

     La Crema Winery has effectively expanded its online presence. The winery’s website offers a seamless e-commerce experience. La Crema actively also engages with its audience on social media platforms, and has created a virtual community around its brand.

6.  Optimize Production Space – Unleash the Cellar Potential: Say goodbye to wasted corners and hello to reimagined production. Evaluate every nook and cranny. Reorganize with precision. Utilize the space that is wasted on racking.

     Embrace flexible, movable vertical storage to increase capacity without sacrificing accessibility. Utilize stackable solutions to create skyward profits. Stackable fermentation, production, blending and aging solutions increase production, allow easy access, and deliver results. Easily blend without having to un-stack, un-rack and re-rack-and-stack barrels.

7.  Shorten the Distance and Vessel Use Between Processing Stages – Modernize your production Transfers. Reduce barrel transfer time with a streamlined, repurposed container layout. Redefine your processing flow to minimize transfer time, reduce labor, and eliminate spillage risks.

     Increase efficiency across all processes. Streamline labor-intensive tasks, from juice movement to cleaning, stacking, and maturation. Optimize productivity across your square footage. And vanquish the evaporation enemy.

8.  Embrace Modern Winemaking Techniques with Oxygen – Permeable Polyethylene Tanks:

  In recent years, wineries have increasingly turned to innovative winemaking equipment, such as poly, food-grade plastic tanks, to optimize production efficiency and cut costs. These tanks, made from high-quality polyethylene, present a viable alternative to traditional oak barrels.

  Oxygen-Permeable Polyethylene Tanks provide winemakers with a more cost-effective and sustainable solution. The use of plastic tanks aligns with sustainability goals. These vessels require less water and chemicals to clean, are lightweight and can be used for all winemaking processes, last more than 25 years, and reduce the demand for dwindling oak resources.

  Les Bourgeois Vineyards, situated in California, has successfully incorporated plastic tanks into its winemaking process. By investing in Oxygen-Permeable Polyethylene Tanks, the winery has reduced operational costs associated with barrel purchasing, maintenance and replacement. The polyethylene tanks allow Seghesio Vineyards to allocate resources to other aspects of production.

•    Poly tanks give winemakers scalability, and stackable use of production space.

•    Polyethylene vessels are sustainable. (Water and Labor Savings). These tanks can be utilized in all aspects of winemaking: production, fermentation, maturation and transport to bottling.

•    French oak barrels are produced at approximately two barrels per 100-year-old tree. Oak barrels must be sanitized using chemicals and large quantities of water. And they’re only good for 4-5 years.

•    Advanced, Oxygen-Permeable Polyethylene Tanks are long-lasting, controllable and breathe like a barrel.

•    Winemakers can easily and quickly expand capacity and space use. Polyethylene tanks are easy to move, clean and stack. And have low up-front capital cost.

Summary

   A combination of strategic planning, modern communication, customer engagement, adaptability to market trends, and new production techniques is required to grow winery revenue.

  Wineries can both build strong relationships with their customer base, and create sustainable higher margin revenue by diversifying offerings. At the same time, wineries must work strategically to create additional market pull, and shelf space. This can be created via consistent (short and unique) communication, and community building.

  Wineries must look forward to the future buyer profile and engage prospect/buyers via modernized wine clubs, enhanced online presence, and content.

  Wine owners and financial managers must also look at methods to reduce OpEx costs, streamline and increase production efficiency, sustainability and margins and revenue.

  These methods can help wineries steadily grow in a competitive market.

Author’s Bio

Jonathan Smalley, President and CEO of SmaK Plastics.  An expert in the production, fermentation, aging and transport of craft beverage and food production solutions. Over the last 20 years, he successfully directed the engineering and development of successful products for more than 4,000 global wineries, cideries and food processors.

Blu Dot Farm & Vineyard

Cyndi

Small Batch Wines With Big Personalities

Blu Dot Farm & Vineyard's patio with chairs, umbrellas, a small travel trailer and their rows of vineyards

By: Gerald Dlubala

Blu Dot Farm & Vineyard is a boutique farm, winery and vineyard with a notable history and a bright future. Nestled between the shores of Lake Charlevoix’s and Lake Michigan with terroir directly influenced by the Great Lakes and historical glacial drift, it happens to also be the ideal place to grow great grape varietals. The estate vineyard stretches over approximately eight acres and is owned by Jennie and Paul Silva. Its 5,000 vines are personally attended to by the Silvas and General Manager Samantha (Sam) Smiertka. Blu Dot’s balanced, hand-crafted collection of wines features primarily dry selections and provides an excellent showcase for northern cold-hearty varietals.

  Blu Dot Farm’s history and main barn structure go back to the late 1800s. Originally an asparagus farm, it’s not uncommon for visitors to still see asparagus growing alongside a nearby bike path. Legend states that the farm is named after the original farmer’s son, whose first word was blue. The mid-1960s brought horses into the mix when the farm was used, and very well known for, breeding and training horses for harness racing. As a result, a primary residence, stables, barns, and half-mile racetrack were added to the property.

A Trip to Napa Sets Off a Chain of Events

  Jennie and Paul Silva fell in love with the idea of growing grapes after a trip to Napa in 2006. After returning home and researching vineyards and grape growing, they found that the Northern Michigan terroir was ideal for grape growing. If they needed another sign that they should start a vineyard, the property across from their cottage, already named Blu Dot Farms, became available. It was an unused horse farm in some disrepair but possessing a great history. The Silvas were interested not only because it was a great place to grow a few grapes but also because it was a great property on its own, a place where people once gathered, entertained, and made lifelong memories. It longed for attention and someone to bring it back to life and preserve it in a way to be once again enjoyed and appreciated by others.

  “We decided to initially plant just a few vines, see what happens, and maybe sell some grapes,” said Jennie. “After meeting with other area vineyards, we found that there was actually a shortage of Michigan grapes, so our plan was to make about 10 cases of wine for our own personal use and sell the rest of the grapes. It would be a great family hobby.”

  Work began, with holes being dug for the trellises. When the hole auger broke due to all of the limestone underground, the Silvas felt like they were sitting on a small goldmine. The rocky, loam soil would provide many nutrients for their vines and impart a subtle and welcome mineral presence on the palate. The initial intentions of grape growing and winemaking as a family hobby blossomed into perhaps making the vineyard into a business. Jennie was inspired by a California vineyard that used an airstream on their property for guests and as a tasting room, thinking it would also be perfect for their vineyard.

  “We didn’t want to overinvest,” said Jennie. We just thought that we’d see if this thing gets legs, and if it does, then maybe we can keep going with it.”

  Blu Dot Farm & Vineyard was born. That’s when Smiertka answered an ad and entered the picture.

  “Sam has really met and exceeded all expectations regarding what we were hoping for and wanting in a GM,” said Silva. “She got us to where we are today and has put us in a great position for future growth and success.”

Party Girls Partnership Leads To Success

  Blu Dot Farm & Vineyard’s General Manager, Samantha (Sam) Smiertka, is originally from Delaware. She left a career in graphic design to follow her love and passion for grape growing and winemaking. While on an apprenticeship with a local winemaker and vineyard owner/manager, Smiertka ran their tasting room and handled their marketing functions. After this apprenticeship, she made her way across the United States, building experience and skills in the industry.

  “After that initial experience, I made my way out west and accepted a contract position in Oregon as a winemaker,” said Smiertka. “When I wanted to further explore new wines and styles, I found an employment listing for a startup wine brand and applied. That startup wine brand was Blu Dot, and here we are.”

  Saying that was the start of something big would undersell the relationship. Each individual vine gets specialized care throughout its growing cycle. The vineyard is regularly walked to ensure the vines are healthy and happy. Jennie also spends quality time talking to her vines, which the vines reportedly love.

  Now, Smiertka and Silva are affectionately known as the Blu Dot Farm’s Party Girls, always ready and willing to meet, raise a glass with, and educate their guests on the awesomeness of Northern Michigan grapes and wines.

 These Small Batch, Northern Michigan Wines May Surprise You

  Blu Dot’s wines tend to be more acid-forward, floral, citrus, white wines, and then cooler season, full-bodied reds.

  “We have two sparkling wines and 5-6 dry-style, still wines,” said Smiertka. “The sparkling wines are our fun, party-girl wines, and we offer a Brut Rosé, Rosé, Marquette, Auxerrois, and Itasca, which is new to the area.”

  “Our climate and terroir parallels many of the great winemaking regions in Europe,” said Smiertka. “There are a lot of hybrids and cold hearty varietals that can grow and excel here, including Riesling and Pinot Blanc. We currently have Marquette, Itasca, Traminette, Frontenac Gris, Sauvignon Rytos, and Auxerrois planted.”

   “We’re in our fourth growing year, and currently, our annual production is almost 3 ½ tons on under three acres this past harvest,” said Silva. “We are still young, so any purchases we make are from our valued regional partners within Michigan, and we only purchase the varietals we are actively growing on the farm. We want our guests to get used to our varietals and know what to expect from us when we do start our own production.”

  Silva says that first time visitors may be surprised at the types of wines they will experience at Blu Dot Farm & Vineyard.

  “It really is fun to see the expression on people’s faces when they taste our wines,” said Silva. “It’s not the sweet style of wine that they may be expecting. And our Itasca is a wonderful, new hybrid that came out of the University of Minnesota in 2017. We’re one of the first to plant Itasca here in Northern Michigan. It’s such an amazing wine with an almost clear color. It actually looks like water in the glass, but it is so good and popular that we sell out regularly.”

  Silva tells The Grapevine Magazine that Blu Dot Farm & Vineyard is easily accessible by bike from downtown Charlevoix or Bay Harbor. They offer music, wine by the tasting, glass or bottle, and snacks to accompany their wines. A pizza oven is also being installed and should be ready to go for those wanting a specialty pizza to complement and extend their winery experience.

You’ve Found Your Peaceful, Relaxing, Happy Place

  Blu Dot Farm & Vineyard want you to be happy and relaxed in their peaceful, farm-style atmosphere. On your way into the property, you’ll weave your way through vineyards on both sides of the road until you reach the iconic vintage airstream.

  “We didn’t want to take ourselves too seriously in this whole process,” said Silva. “That’s the vibe our guests have come to know, love, and look for when they visit. The airstream serves as our main tasting room from May through October and reflects our lightheartedness and desire for a fun and memorable time. It’s specifically customized to serve and function as a bar area and tasting room, complete with popup windows, unique spaces, and interior seating for a fun and memorable experience. If guests prefer to sit outside, they’ll find comfort around our firepits with picnic tables, umbrellas, and Adirondack chairs. It’s a very welcoming and fun space to be. For colder months, a small indoor tasting room is also available.”

A Future of Self-Sufficiency

  “Well, it’s safe to say that our little hobby trip to Napa 15 years ago has become very expensive,” said Silva, laughing. “And now, our vision for Blu Dot Farm & Vineyards is all about self-sufficiency. We want to bring everything in-house and be as self-sufficient as we can. We do not do any production on-premise for now, although that is definitely part of our future plans. We also plan to expand our indoor tasting room, and within a few years, we’ll hire an in-house winemaker.”

  “And thanks to a Sunday afternoon combination of a couple of glasses of wine and picking way too many apples here on the property, we played around, experimented, and produced our first cider,” said Smiertka.

  “We made one batch that came out awesome,” said Silva. “These apple trees have been here long before us, and since cider is an increasing in popularity in our region, we hope to move forward with cider production as well.”

  “We are looking forward to a fun future,” said Silva and Smiertka. “The property is amazing, and we have the opportunity to preserve and highlight its history while adding to it. We have someone who still keeps horses here, reminding everyone of the significance of this place in Standardbred Harness-Racing. At one point, this property was home to over 300 horses. It was very well known in the equestrian world. We’d love to expand on that and add additional livestock and different animals in the future to enhance the farm experience.”

  “We continue to learn as we go,” said Silva. “Our local vineyards are very collaborative-minded. It’s amazing and rewarding that our neighboring vineyards are willing to share so much information to help us. I enjoy that type of collaborative mindset because we all want everyone to be successful and help Michigan rise to the top as a wine destination. When visitors come to our region, I see the surprise on their faces regarding the quality of wines we can put out. That quality also helps attract top talent to our area.”

  Blu Dot Farm & Vineyard offers a relaxed setting to enjoy premium Northern Michigan wine with surrounding farm and vineyard views. The vintage customized airstream can comfortably accommodate up to 12 guests and is available to reserve. Outdoor seating is always available on a first-come basis, and leashed dogs are welcome.

For more information, please get in touch with Blu Dot Farm & Vineyard:

11399 Boyne City Rd.

Charlevoix, MI 49720

231.622.3753

info@bludotwine.com

Best Practices for Wastewater Management in the Winery

Cyndi
water feature in vineyard

By: Alyssa L. Ochs

It is common knowledge that wineries produce a significant amount of wastewater. Still, it’s imperative to understand your winery’s wastewater characteristics to choose the right solution. Fortunately, many eco-friendly options are available now to help wineries reduce their environmental impact while using water. These options can also help you stay within compliance regulations without much labor, eliminate the need for extensive pond dredging, address water reclamation concerns and recycle water quickly and effectively.

  This article will cover best practices, recycling, monitoring, cleaning, sanitation and technologies for wastewater management to guide wineries in choosing the best options for their operations.

Traditional and Modern Wastewater Solutions

  Technologies used for winery wastewater typically fit into four categories: physiochemical, biological, advanced oxidation and membrane. Physiochemical technologies include precipitation, coagulation, sedimentation and electrocoagulation methods. Aerobic biological technologies include membrane bioreactors and conventional activated sludge process methods, while anaerobic biological processes feature anaerobic sequencing batch reactor methods. Advanced oxidation methods are sulfate radical- TiO2- or ozone-based, while reverse osmosis is used for membrane technologies.

  Types of treatment systems applicable to wineries include lagoons to treat wastewater organic material and artificial wetlands using plants to break down organic matter. There are also bioreactor methods with small footprints to maximize usable vineyard space and conventional activated sludge that features a mix of wastewater and oxygen to ensure that microbial organisms break down organic matter.

  Yoni Szarvas, the founder, president, CEO, and chairman of AquaBella Organic Solutions, told The Grapevine Magazine about several wastewater approaches available to wineries today. Founded in 2008, AquaBella is a socially responsible company headquartered in Sebastopol, California that delivers the power of naturally beneficial bacteria to reduce water pollutants and create higher crop yields. The company aims to reduce the need for chemical fertilizers, boost agricultural lands’ long-term sustainability and fertility and break down organic pollutants to clarify water.

  Szarvas explained that traditional approaches to wastewater management typically involve using a wastewater pond or series of ponds to remove contaminants until the water quality standards are met.

  “A more modern approach is to use a modular treatment system, which potentially is more cost-effective than surface water ponds,” Szarvas said. This approach involves installing prefab above-ground tanks instead of excavating wastewater lagoons. Many wineries use wetland reclamation technology, which has the added benefit of acting as a carbon sink and minimizing CO2 release into the atmosphere.”

Characteristics of Winery Wastewater

  Winery wastewater typically has a low pH of three to four, nitrogen levels of up to 500 milligrams per liter, a high biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) of up to 10,000 milligrams per liter and high turbidity. The characteristics of wastewater will vary by the season but must always be kept in mind by vineyard owners to prevent foul odors and protect water quality. Some wineries turn to companies like Specialty Treatment Solutions (STS), to devise customized wastewater treatment plans based on wastewater characteristics. ClearBlu Environmental and BioMicrobics, Inc. are additional companies that serve the winery market with wastewater treatment solutions.

Effluents and Contaminant Burdens

  Wine industry wastewater is primarily produced from cleaning equipment and machinery, such as tanks, destemmers, pumps, tubes and filters. Wineries also produce wastewater when employees wash fermentation tanks, bottles and barrels. Some wastewater comes from spillages that happen during winemaking transfers, too. Harvesting, cellaring and bottling processes all produce wastewater, and multi-step treatments are typically required regardless of whether you choose traditional or new-technology methods.

  Approximately half of a winery’s annual wastewater comes from harvesting, a time of the year that only lasts a few weeks. Even worse, harvest wastewater has the highest contaminant burdens as employees work long days pressing grapes, cleaning equipment and handling accidental spillages. Cellaring-generated wastewater is produced during the wine’s maturation phase, when fermentation tanks are cleaned and wines are clarified cold before bottling. Effluents from cellaring wastewater tend to have a high pH. The lowest wastewater contaminant burden comes from bottling processes, as employees clean bottles and disinfect equipment during their workdays. The type of wastewater produced will dictate the appropriate treatment method, depending on whether it will be discharged into the public sewer system, released into a natural waterway or used to irrigate the vineyard.

How to Manage Winery Wastewater

  The first step in treating winery wastewater is to address the solids since solids may hinder the rest of the treatment processes. During pretreatment and neutralization, make sure to adjust the pH to ensure effluents can be discharged properly. Once liquids are separated from solids, the primary treatment process should eliminate around 30 to 40 percent of organic matter. Secondary treatment processes dissolve nutrients and organic matter, typically using nitrogen and phosphorus. Advanced treatment options are available for wastewater that will be reused within the winery’s operations.

  Good water and wastewater management can reduce operations costs, time and labor when carried out properly. Along with improved production efficiency and lower disposal fees and surcharge costs, wastewater practices can also help you promote your winery as a sustainable business in the local community. There is a growing demand for environmentally-friendly production, and managing wastewater is a practical and tangible way to stand out in a crowded marketplace while also staying ahead of changing water regulations and risks of natural disasters.

Recycling and Reusing Wastewater

  Vineyards can reuse wastewater for irrigation and other purposes after performing advanced treatments, such as disinfection through ultraviolet radiation and ozone-based oxidation. After the second treatment, employees filter effluent using a granular sand bed and then proceed with ultrafiltration or another membrane-filtration process before reverse osmosis.

  As Szarvas from AquaBella pointed out, vineyards generally reuse wastewater once contaminants have been removed.

  “Land application is a common reuse of this water which helps keep costs down, especially for smaller vineyards,” he said. “There may be additional opportunities to recover energy from wastewater and solid waste, such as pomace in the form of biogas.”

Monitoring, Cleaning and Sanitizing Processes

  Keeping up with wastewater management and monitoring cleanliness and sanitation is always the best approach to any wastewater plan. Try to work ahead as much as possible to keep up with these tasks.

  “This means having good sanitation practices in place prior to treatment and exploring options that minimize the use of cleaners that will either interfere with the wastewater treatment process or add to the waste stream,” said Szarvas from AquaBella. “Regular testing of the wastewater for common vineyard contaminants, such as nitrogen, salinity and organic matter as indicated by biochemical oxygen demand are used prior to land application of the treated wastewater.”

Choosing a Wastewater Management Strategy

  Of course, there are many factors to consider before deciding on a wastewater treatment system, including local and state regulations that define the maximum levels of biochemical oxygen demand, nitrogen and salinity for disposal on land. Cost is a significant consideration, especially labor prices and costs for chemicals and maintenance time. As a winery owner, you’ll also need to think about how much land you have to dedicate to wastewater management, the capacity of your staff to handle wastewater tasks and creative ways to repurpose wastewater to your advantage.

  Szarvas from AquaBella explained to The Grapevine Magazine that there is no one-size-fits-all treatment option for all vineyards.

  “Vineyards are in a unique position due to the seasonal nature of the wastewater generated,” he said. “Only during ‘crush,’ when grapes are harvested and pressed, do they generate a significant amount of wastewater. Wastewater treatment approaches need to be cost-effective for a large amount of waste for this short period of time. A treatment approach that has the capacity necessary to meet this need is essential.”

  For example, AquaBella Organic Solutions makes a low-cost microbe-based water treatment product, AquaBella Bio-Enzyme. This product works without having to build on or improve existing water treatment infrastructure and can significantly shorten the timeline required for nitrogen, BOD and organic matter treatment. This allows a higher volume of wastewater to be processed more rapidly.

  “AquaBella Bio-Enzyme also works in a wide range of pH and salinity conditions,” said Szarvas. “AquaBella Bio-Enzyme can rapidly break down and remove organic matter in process water, resulting in improved dissolved oxygen, reduced BOD and volatile dissolved solids while helping to control odors.”

  Looking ahead to the future, winery owners must pay close attention to energy and material prices when addressing their wastewater concerns. There is a significant need for economical solutions to serve the increasing needs and limited budgets of small and medium-sized wineries. In-demand innovations being researched include technological solutions to ensure winery wastewater is reusable at food-grade quality, compact equipment to minimize the land footprint and anaerobic treatment solutions that produce methane to become at least partially self-sufficient.

  In the meantime, winery staff members can do their part to track and monitor water use, fix leaks and use the right tools for the job when handling water. Simple and no-cost best practices, like following established procedures for cleaning and sanitizing and providing employee training and incentives for proper wastewater management, can go a long way in improving wastewater disposal, usage and quality at a winery.

Mobile Bottling Preparation

Cyndi
mobile bottling wine truck in the process of bottling wine

By: Thomas J. Payette, Winemaking Consultant

Welcome to Eastern Winery and exploring this article.  Preparing for bottling is no easy challenge.  [This article can also be adapted for onsite bottling as well.]   However, the key to success while preparing for the mobile bottler to arrive is communication and planning.  This can’t be stressed enough when you digest the following topics below.

When

  It is recommended to contact a mobile bottler at least 6 months prior to needing them.  Discuss the plan from wine styles, case volume, road access for their truck and address other questions the bottling operator may have.  Then request their spec sheet in terms of label wind, label core size, capsules, bottle styles, screw cap capabilities etc.  Does the mobile bottler require power?  What amp service and what configuration?  Start to lay the foundation as you move forward toward bottling what your vision is and taking note if that bottler can fulfill that vision.  Set firm dates with the bottler at this time, also, since many mobile bottlers fill their calendars quickly. 

Success

  Keep in mind the success of hitting the bottling dates with a mobile bottler are crucial to your business.  Should one piece of the puzzle not come together just right – it could result in unlabeled product being run or canceling the bottling all together.  Either situation may result in huge delays in being able to get the bottler back to your facility and lost revenue during that time.  Success is less expensive.

Dry Goods Ordering

(Labels, Capsules, Closures, Bottles)

Labels: Now having spoken to the bottler you can start to order dry goods from your vendors.  Speak with the label company and give them the wind directions/orientation.  Of course, make sure TTB approval and any other governmental approvals needed for any labels are in hand before printing labels.  New labels can take as long as 6 months lead-time so do not delay this process.  Get the label design, approval and printing process started and keep it rolling.

Capsules: Contact suppliers and determine if they have what you need in stock or just what their supply situation is for the capsule(s) desired.  Either place an order for them or have them placed on hold.  Some custom capsules come from overseas so allow enough time to have them arrive by boat saving plenty on airfreight shipping.  Get this process started and stay on top of the capsules.

Corks and other closures:  Typically not a huge issue in terms of lead time but still a great idea to place an order 2 months in advance with a ship date to arrive at your winery at least 10 days prior to needing them.  This can be extended to longer in house time if testing of the corks is performed.  Leave time for the test, rejection and re-ordering (with branding) to make sure the bottling date remains secure.  Screw cap and other closures with printing need to be ordered well in advance.

Bottles: Once again stay in contact with the supplier just to make sure what you need will be available when you need it.  Contact the bottle supplier three months in advance just to check in and secure your needs.  Perhaps place an order early on to be refined after filtering and racking losses are realized.  Let them know a rough idea of what your needs are and project out on ship dates for a timely arrival.

Wines

  Often the easy part!  Start making blends well in advance and start working toward stabilities.  Leave enough time or “wiggle room” to be able to re-perform any stability actions again just in case one process doesn’t react as the lab trials predicted.  Try to set up a wine production schedule that has your wines ready about one month prior to the bottling trucks arrival.

Filtration

  Make sure your wines are filtered to the proper pore size that you and the bottler discussed.  In most cases a 0.45-micron cartridge filter will be used but if you plan to do otherwise – discuss this in advance.  Discuss who supplies the cartridge and what the “lock system configuration” is for their filter housing, size etc.

Three Weeks Before Bottling

  Three weeks prior to bottling start to take inventory of where items are from your suppliers.  Mistakes happen so just check in to make sure all is moving forward.  There is still time to fix small mistakes and suppliers that have inadvertently dropped the ball will jump through hoops to make it right.

  Start looking at the small things too.  Shrink wrap, carton tape or glue, case coding ink, date stamps, and product codes.  Place the order for any inert gases you may need: notably Nitrogen and Carbon Dioxide.

Three Days Before Bottling

  Start a plan to warm your wines to the desired bottling temperature typically between 60-65 degrees F.  Look at the weather forecast to see what the actual temperature may be on the bottling day.  Address extreme cold or hot temps with the mobile bottler group.

  Start to review the parking lot area.  What cars, trucks or tractors will need to be moved?  Will the press need to be relocated on the crush pad?

  Collect dry goods and formulate the vision of where the truck will be, how empty glass will be supplied, how full cases will be removed, how the wine hose will supply the truck, how the water supply will connect and supply the truck. 

  Start double checking that you will have the helpers needed to run the line for that day.  Place a reminder call to them. 

Day of Bottling

Morning:  If the truck is not already there make sure you have already clear the proper amount of maneuvering space for their entry.  Have inert gases ready and a water source (chlorine free) available.  The bottling crew will need to start their steamer as soon as possible to sterilize their filter and filling parts.

Glass: Make sure the glass bottles are in an area you can get to them to supply the truck rapidly.  They should already be “pulled from the warehouse” and acclimating if needed.  Bottle temperature is important too.

Other dry goods: Be ready to load all the dry goods such as capsules, closures and labels on the truck early in the day so the bottlers can set their equipment to those supplies.  The team may request them at another time – but be ready.

Startup:  It is recommended to always remove the first set of bottles equal to the number of spouts of the bottling line prior to closure application and to dump them into a clean bucket.  These bottles can still be refilled and used in most cases.  The collected wine in the bucket may be dumped to bulk unless the winemaker prefers this not to happen.

Quality Control

  Discuss any quality control issues with the mobile bottler group.  In many cases they will bring certain issues up to you that they see and you should bring anything up to them that concerns you.  Have people at places needed to make sure operations are happening as they should.  The people placing the bottles of wine back in the box should be fast but also have a keen eye for any abnormalities.  Make sure they know they can bring any concerns to your attention or the appropriate person.

  Make sure that the operations in the truck are running as they should.  Take bottles and inspect them.  Check the vacuum, label spacing, label alignment, fill level, capsule application, and everything from start to finish.  Is everything up to what you expect?

Some Other Handy Tools

Melting Crayons: These crayons melt at certain temperatures and can be used to touch certain surfaces to test the steam and sterilization process is going as predicted.  Infrared equipment may work here but the author has not tested those to be certain.

Calipers: These are an item many wineries have anyway but have them close by.  It helps when looking at issues on the Quality Control level and helping work through dry goods/machinery functionality problems.

Vacuum Needle Gauge: These items are needed as a Quality Control check to monitor the vacuum being pulled at the corker.  These can be obtained from winery supply vendors or feel free to contact me (540-672-0387) for a parts list to make one of your own (less expensive).

Oxygen Meter: This is a great time to get a feel for your bottler and the oxygen pick up at certain stages.  Once you know a unit and the operation of that unit the amount of testing may be reduced possibly. 

First Time Winery Bottling

  Pallets, depending on how many cases you will have per pallet of finished wine product, will be in short supply.  Make sure to have enough pallets to cover the needs.  New glass often comes with near 100 cases per pallet and many wineries will stack 60 cases per pallet at bottling.  These pallets need to be of good to great quality.

Summary

  Build on your communications with your bottler.  Every mobile bottler has different equipment and run patterns.  Once each of you get familiar with the other – the systems come together flawlessly, and bottling becomes an enjoyable process again.  Build on this foundation to develop a checklist of your own that is specific to your winery, wines, and packaging.  Keep quality in the forefront as a winemaker.

References:  

  Verbal discussion with Mr. Jacques Boissenot, Mr. Jacques Recht, Mr. Joachim Hollerith and Mr. Chris Johnson.

  Many thanks to Landwirt bottling and New Kent Winery for their allowing me to be involved on the day of their bottling to write this article.       

Bottling Checklist

(For most bottling truck needs / change as needed)

1.     Early Communications

2.     Stabilities checked; wine warmed to 65 degrees F; filtered to 0.50 microns.  Truck will have pre-filter and 0.45-micron filters typically.

3.     Cartridge filters on hand if needed.

4.     Free SO2 and pH known, and action taken accordingly.

5.     Gases (CO2 and/or Nitrogen)

6.     Water hose and enough hose to get to the truck (if used)

7.     Dry goods: Corks, bottles, capsules, and labels (TTB approved)

8.     Wine from vented tank with enough clean wine hose to reach truck.

9.     Acclimated glass – sweating could be an issue.

10.   Date stamp for cases – Gov. head.

11.   Product stamp or labels for product

12.   Shrink wrap – to wrap pallets of cases.

13.   Extra (dry) pallets – very solid and well built.

14.   Tape and tape guns to seal cases. 

        Glue if gluing.

15.   Utility knives, Permanent marker pens

16.   Helpers (Quality Control) and water for them to drink

17.   First aid kit, ear plugs

18.   Vacuum needle gauge, Calipers, Melting

        crayons, Oxygen meter.

19.   Dump first bottle per spout (re-blend to tank)

20.   Great communication the day of bottling

  Check with bottling truck to make sure you have all items they need.  Label configuration (wind configuration), bottles they can run, capsules, closures (real, synthetic, screw cap) etc.

NOTE: Be sure to vent tank and make sure contents are uniformly mixed.