As purveyors of high quality stainless steel wine barrels we are always excited to see the world of wine moving towards the future. We are very interested in the long traditions and rich aspects of traditional wine-making and culture, but we also know that there are so many undiscovered techniques and technologies out there for making incredible wines. Today we have a great example of just that out in the Napa Valley, a winery who are making their way into the future.
Vineyard 29 is a very special place, owned by Anne and Chuck McCinn, who have been running the place since they bought it in 2000. The winery is known for its red wines, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, and a Cabernet Franc which are all made using the newest and best in wine technology. The winery utilizes such incredible technologies as a grape sorter that uses optics technology to sort out the worst grapes from the batches, sensors for measuring how much water the vines are absorbing, and aerial infrared photos to find spots in the field which aren’t growing properly. Chuck reports that the increased mechanization has greatly impacted their business in multiple ways. According to him, they have not only been able to produce higher quantities of wine, but the quality has also increased significantly. From increased gathering and processing speeds to ensure the freshest grapes, to a more gentle pumping process that leads to a much smoother wine.
It’s always great to see pioneers of industry like this really show us that fresh eyes and ideas can really transform something as old and storied as wine making. Products like our stainless steel wine barrels are slowly becoming a very unique and integral part of the industry, and we can’t wait to see what happens next!