Page 12 - Grapevine March-April 2020

In The Winery

chains etc. Order spare parts of anything that
seems worn or in need of repair soon. Create a
plan. Upgrade the machinery and adapt to making
the crush process easier. Look at pomace removal
systems and explore options. Do these repairs and
reviews while you have the time to take action.
(The same theory applies during harvest – work on
your bottling line!)

Review the cellar journal/log: Looking at entries
in the cellar log will often jar the memories of
items that needed refinement of the harvest prior.
This will help in the planning process of what may
need attention for next harvest also.

In the Spring: Start to count picking lugs, bins,
shears and gondolas. Review vineyard data pro-
jections for tonnage and get a grasp on how that
tonnage will be transported to the winery. Inspect
wagons, tires and gondolas. This review in the
spring will allow enough time to make adjustments
and to plan for these upcoming events. Make
plans for harvest help and contact any interns you
plan to have in place

Early Summer: Have a refined crop estimate
submitted by each grower. With more solid fruit
estimates in hand refine your tank and vessel
needs for the winery. Start thinking about yeast
and stylistic production goals. How will these be
achieved? Start taking further action to fix and
refine the machinery for the crush pad. This is a
time of year better suited for this work outdoors
and allows for errors to be fixed with ample time.

Mid-Summer: Have a review done of your chill-
ing system. Is it operating properly? Will there be
enough cooling tonnage for the increased capacity?
Do you care to relocate any tanks? Will refrigera-
tion/glycol lines need to cut for adding additional
tanks? Will this impact your bottling schedule?

Two months before harvest: Place an order
for yeast, enzymes, nutrients, ML cultures, tank
cleaning chemicals, citric acid, soda ash, etc. Have
comfortable shipping dates discussed with your
supplier to avoid rush fees. (Keep in mind some
companies offer free shipping in July)

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