Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/561374
4 4 V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T | S e p t - O c t 2 015 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m the simple things, like switching to high-pressure, low-flow nozzles that reduce the flow on each hose from 20 gallons per minute (gpm) to 7 gpm that have helped us sig- nificantly reduce our use," Zucker said. "We sweep the floors now here's no silver bullet when it comes to water conservation inside the winery. Accord- ing to Jeff Zucker, safety and envi- ronmental coordinator at J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines in Paso Robles, Calif., "It's the 100 little decisions you make every day that con- tribute the most to water con- servation." Zucker noted changes in winery housekeeping practic- es and a constant dialog with the winemaking team as key to his water-saving success. In 2003, J. Lohr averaged 3.5 gallons of water to 1 gallon of wine. Today that number is just 1.31 gallons, a low for the winery. (One caveat: J. Lohr doesn't operate a bot- tling line, which can drive up a winery's water use.) "We're talking about con- servation all the time, but it's + Assess winery workflow and housekeep- ing practices for opportunistic ways to conserve. + Retrain and incentivize winery workers to make conservation a priority. + Upgrade legacy wastewater systems to optimize reuse. + Consider a closed-loop system that not only recycles but recovers water. AT A GLANCE instead of hosing them down and we don't leave hoppers unattended when we're filling them." Barrel washing, one of the most water-intensive aspects of produc- tion, is done using high-pressure, low-flow nozzles to remove tar- trates, and Zucker uses a timed ozone rinse to sani- tize and further reduce water demand. At Castello di Amorosa in Napa Valley, winemaker Peter Velleno spotted an opportu- nity to save water with an ingenious modification to the winery's Italian-made Kosme bottling line. "The Kosme had a water-cooled pump that ran water down the drain the entire time we were bottling," said Velleno, who estimates that he now saves 2,400 gallons of water per day when he bottles. When looking for ways to C o n s e r v a t i v e State of Mind W i n e r i e s a d o p t w a t e r- s a v i n g s t r a t e g i e s BY DEBORAH PARKER WONG Alex Farren, co-founder of BlueMorph, conducts a trial at Simi Winery.