Page 26 - Grapevine July-Aug 2020

In The Winery

fixes all of the problems that we had when we Dixon. “He sets the line up to our specifications,
bottled our wine on a manual line. The manual steam sterilizes it, and is responsible for keeping it
line consisted of a rinser, sparger, six-spout gravity running efficiently during bottling. The only hurdle
filler, corker, capsule spinner and labeler and took we had to overcome to be able to use a mobile
six people to run efficiently. Even then, it was still bottler was to install a dedicated electrical circuit
a very slow process compared to an automatic bot- and a specific type of outlet so the bottling line
tling line, and our wine was still being exposed to a could be plugged into our power.”
fair amount of oxygen. On top of that, it was a con-
stant headache to keep the bottling line in proper “We start to schedule and prepare for bottling
working order for when we needed it. Conversely, about four to six weeks in advance. Once we have
there is very little oxygen pick up using an automat- a date scheduled with Old Woolam, we order all of
ic line, and our maintenance responsibility is zero, our bottling supplies,” Dixon said. “Prior to the day
so it became an easy decision for us to switch to of bottling, all of the wines we’re bottling are fil-
a mobile bottling service when one became avail- tered to 0.45 microns and finished however would
able.” be appropriate for that particular wine’s style.
On the day of bottling, we set up the filter again
Dixon told The Grapevine Magazine that by using because we will run the wine through the filter
a mobile bottler, he can bottle considerably more just before it goes into the bottling line. We use
wine in a day while using only four people, and can 0.45-micron pads and a 0.45-micron absolute mem-
do it using only three if needed. Noboleis typically brane filter. This ensures that our wine is sterile as
bottles between 2,000 and 2,500 gallons per day, it goes into the bottling line. This step is just a pre-
a significant increase over the 300 to 400 gallons cautionary step that helps us winemakers sleep at
using their manual line. night! As we are setting up the filters, the bottling
lines are being steam sterilized. The set up takes
“Brent Baker, the founder of Old Woolam Custom about 60-90 minutes, and then once everyone is
Bottling, is always there on bottling day,” said ready to go, bottling starts.”

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