WineMaking innoVations

Thermoregulating Oak Barrel from Taransaud

Taransaud embedded a thermoregulating system in the staves of the barrel and earned a silver medal for the creation. Water runs inside a silicone tube incorporated within the staves to control the liquid’s temperature. The barrel is connected to a water source.

The system’s goal is to ensure that temperature inside the barrel remains homogeneous, thanks in part to the large wine/barrel surface, explained Thierry Six, who works in research and development at Taransaud. No additional equipment to regulate the temperature is needed, which makes cleaning easier and improves sanitation.

The thermoregulating barrel can hold anywhere from 1,500 to 3,000 liters and has been tested for about a year. Six said that it may be on the market by late 2023 and larger barrels may also be produced.

Taransaud North America (TNA) distributes Taransaud products in the U.S. The French company is based in Cognac.

Smart Hose from Flex-Key

Flex-key’s smart hose system was awarded a silver medal. The system monitors the hose, including when it’s connected, disconnected and maintained. Goals include increased safety, pollution prevention and cost savings.

The product was not in the U.S. as of late 2022. Its worldwide distributor is Trelleborg.

Vinimag from the French Wine and Vine Institute (IVF)

Scientists from the French Wine and Vine Institute, in collaboration with colleagues from France’s National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE) have created an automated micro-fermentation system for red wines, managed by a robot.

The new system—known as Vinimag received a silver medal. Vinimag, created in 2022, allows scientists to quickly obtain data on multiple samples of red wine, all at once. The robot manages up to 60 micro fermentations contained in French-press like containers.

The system overcomes one challenge: how to deal with must and red wine extraction when the amount of fruit is limited, said Marie-Agnès Ducasse, Minicave project coordinator at IVF. Fruit samples can be frozen for a year under a set of protocols.

Previous micro-fermenters created two decades ago handled juice only— white or rosé juice samples without must.

One of the stated goals is to select varieties adapted to climate change conditions. Other applications include yeast selection.

The team of French scientists was inspired by work carried on by The Australian Wine Research Institute. The product is not available in the United States.

Quadr @ and Nectar from Parsec

Parsec received two medals for its new programs: A silver medal for Quadr @ and a bronze medal for Nectar.

Quadr @ monitors wine production data thanks to a native-web software and tracks all operations in the cellar.

Nectar monitors CO2 recovery and re-use during the fermentation process and then analyzes the wine’s fermentation.

Parsec’s U.S. distributor is ATPGroup.

KYP from Vyvelis

“Knowledge in Your Pocket” or KYP by Vyvelis is a new digital notebook for the winemaker. It received a bronze medal.

The digital notebook shows data, including temperatures and tasting notes, organized in a simple way to help winemakers make decisions, explained Pau Inzirillo, Vivelys’ solutions developer. Modeling gives precise data on the fermentation and a history of the data in the cellar, Inzirillo explained.

The program, introduced in 2022, has been tested in Argentina, Chile, France and the United States, Inzirillo said.