Our new crusher/destemmer has arrived in time for harvest. We’ve been picking Chardonnay grapes from the south Okanagan this week from Harry McWatters’ renowned Sundial Vineyard on the Black Sage Road in Oliver and the Hidden Terrace Vineyard in OK Falls.
The new equipment is both safer for our staff and gentler with the fruit. The elevator enables us to manage the flow of fruit into the destemmer ensuring less shearing and also allows us to fill the press directly for whole bunch pressing, a technique we will use for sparkling and premium whites.
The destemmer is much more efficient and gentler with the grapes. The fruit drops into the must pump hopper as whole berries and the rachis are removed as a whole piece. The process treats the fruit very tenderly and maintains the integrity of the berries without so much crushing and bruising.
Our new must pump is a peristaltic pump which pushes the fruit rather than mushing it up like the auger pump previously did.
Stop by the crushpad at our Naramata Bench winery and see our winemaker Mary McDermott and her team in action over the coming month.
