Water scarcity is a real global problem. In the United States, seemingly boundless bodies of water such as the powerful Colorado River and the massive Lake Mead are drying up. Nearly the entire state of California is now classified as being under “extreme” and “exceptional” drought conditions.
As local California governments issue hefty fines to residents who are caught watering their lawn, everybody is on edge and pushing to conserve water. Wine country is no exception.
Utilizing stainless steel wine drums is one step towards conserving water at your vineyard or winery.
New oak barrels require a swelling period with water before use. Whether you choose to do a cold or hot water soak, you are spending gallons of water just to prepare your barrel. Additionally, best practices caution against allowing the same water to stand in the barrel for more than three days for cleanliness sake and suggest a complete fill of the barrel once the soak is complete to make certain there are no slow leaks.
Used barrels still need to be rehydrated before use and cleaned between continuing uses. Wood is a naturally porous building material, so cleaning takes several, thorough rinses to ensure all wine deposits from the last batch have been washed away.
Our crevice-free, seamless stainless steel wine barrels are easy to clean and sterilize. The smooth interior makes it nearly impossible for bacteria and wine deposits to accumulate, demanding a less rigorous cleaning process. Additionally, these solid barrels come watertight and ready to go, no need to waste any time or water on swelling.
With important water reservoirs and basins drying up faster than we’d like to admit, we all must do our part to conserve water. Many regions in California offer water management resources and irrigation evaluations, in the meantime the use of stainless steel wine barrels is a strong first step towards more efficient water management.