The Daily Taste: Friday May 6th 2022 - The most fascinating machine in the winery.....

Hello Wine Enthusiasts Welcome to the Daily Taste for Friday May 6th, 2022

When red wine grapes are harvested, they’re brought inro the winery and most of the time they are put through a machine called a destemmer. The de-stemmer removes the grapes from the stems and separates the grapes from the material other than grapes called MOG for short. In some wineries, the grapes then pass over a conveyer belt where people standing on either side can pick out any remaining stems and leaves and take out any berries that are too green or just don’t look right, this process is called sorting. For some wineries, the grapes may pass through this sorting process more than once to make sure only the best grapes make it into the wine. The sorting process can be an arduous task and is subject to human error. Its inevitable that some green grapes, leaves, and some stems will get past the sorters and into the wine. Companies that make winery equipment were determined to find a better, more efficient way to sort grapes, and they did. One of the most impressive machines I have ever seen in action in a winery is the optical sorter. The optical sorter, is the best and most accurate grape sorting equipment on the market. The optical sorter employs high speed camaras and image processing software to quickly scan and sort destemmed grapes. The high speed cameras shoot at 1000 frames per second with 10 billion pixel resolution and LED lights to illuminate the grapes without heating them up. The biggest of these optical sorters can process up to 15 tons of grapes per hour at a cost of up to $200,000.

The optical sorter is so accurate that it eliminates grapes that are underripe, bird pecked, dehydrated, or have other flaws. It also makes sure that MOG such as leaves and stems are removed to reduce astringency and bitterness. These sorting machines make it possible to make sure that only the best grapes make it into the wine. At this price point, it isn’t realistic for all wineries to have this technology but this is another way that wineries can improve efficiency and the quality of their wines. Some wineries I have worked in are willing to spare no expense to make the best wine they possible can so this machine is a must. Next time you are in a tasting room, aske them if their grapes are sorted with an optical sorter. I also encourage you to visit your favorite winery during the harvest season to see this machine in action. It is very impressive!

Please listen to episode #11 of the obsessed with wine podcast on Saturday May 7th as I talk with certified sommelier and wine school manager Walden Pemantle about falling in love with wine and getting the highest score in his class at the Court of Master Sommelier certified sommelier exam.

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