Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/155925
sorted 2,000 tons with these units in 2012. Gimbre trailers, manufactured in France, are used upstream to collect free-run juice from fruit before it is fed into the optical sorters. The trailer has a juice-holding pan with a valve to transfer the juice directly into a tanker truck if sorted at the vineyard, or to a fermentation tank at the winery. WVM night-harvests to deliver cooler, high-quality fruit. "We've delivered up to 80 tons of optically sorted fruit to the winery by 7:30 a.m. that require no additional sorting, destemming or handling," Merritt said, "so it can go directly to crusher or tank." He said the speed and sorting of mechanization gives wineries more picking flexibility, to allow additional hang time, or the ability to quickly pick just ahead of forecasted rain without worrying about labor crew availability. Other advantages are that wineries can reduce their capital investment in crush pad equipment, and reduce their labor hours during the crush season. MECHANICAL SPRAYING, HEDGING, LEAF REMOVAL Mechanical harvesting and berry sorting were major selling points of the Pellenc equipment, but Merritt A Pellenc 8590 multi-function, over-the-row tractor performs shoot hedging in a Carneros vineyard. Photo: Ted Rieger said it would not be worthwhile for these tractors to sit unused for 9-10 months of the year. Their multifunction, multi-row capabilities enable year-round use, and provide the same or more work output with fewer employees. "We're seeing a trend toward fewer seasonal employees, and our total employee count is down, but it's given our senior employees opportunities 2356 Research Drive - Livermore, CA 94550 (925) 371-0796 - contact@infaco-usa.com 60 V I N E YARD & WINERY MANAGEMENT | Sept - Oct 2013 to learn more technical and equipment skills," Merritt said. "One of our biggest changes in recent years (with fewer workers and the need to efficiently use equipment) has been in scheduling," he added. "We're working double shifts and working equipment seven days a week." Merritt said he believes each tractor should be used at least 750-800 hours per Battery-Operated Pruning Shears w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m