Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/501762
5 6 V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T | M a y - J u n e 2 015 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m any advances pioneered by the dairy industry have i m p r o v e d w i n e m a k i n g in the cellar, but when it comes to using flash or instantaneous heat, it all starts in the vineyard. Flash pasteuriza- tion was first applied to milk in 1933. Sixty years later, flashbake ovens made their debut and, shortly thereafter, the adoption of frost prevention and thermal pest control techniques for wine- growing began making news. Fast forward two decades and you'll find the latest generation of Thermal Plant Treatment (TPT) technology gaining interest from Oregon to Monterey. After three years of rigorous trials by Walnut Creek, Calif.-based AgroThermal Systems, trials show that patent- ed flash heat treatments to vines are producing a host of benefits that extend well beyond the dis- ruption of pest lifecycles. + Using Thermal Plant Treatment (TPT), grow- ers can proactively manage the growing cycle when vintage conditions are less than optimal. + TPT increases fruit set and yield while reduc- ing chemical inputs needed to control rot and pests. + A three-year trial at Adelsheim Vineyard in Oregon shows improved tannin struc- ture in wines from heat-treated sites. + Researchers are study- ing the benefits of environmentally friendly techniques such as TPT for improving produc- tion in the face of global warming. AT A GLANCE Flash Heat Treatment Shown to Benefit Vines and Wine AgroThermal's TPT machine blows heated air onto the vine canopy to raise the temperature of clusters 12°F-15°F above ambient temperatures in the canopy. BY DEBORAH PARKER WONG Trial results reveal improved fruit set and enhanced wine quality