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While food and beverage facilities already have their own unique set of regulations when it comes...
While food and beverage facilities already have their own unique set of regulations when it comes to cleanliness and sanitation, the wine industry has an additional motivator: the purity of their wine. According to Emile Peynaud, “Cleanliness is a basic condition for quality. The whole of enological science would be to no avail if the work itself were done in places that were dirty.” Consistent quality routes from consistency in the beginning of the process. You cannot have a consistently quality wine if your winery is not always clean. In addition to cleanliness, employees can affect consistency. One of the best way to retain employees is to care for them on the job. By making sure your facility is safe, you will experience increased employee retention.
With so many uncontrollable factors in the wine industry such as the weather in which the grapes are grown, it is of the utmost importance to control the controllable factors. According to the Texas Cooperative Extension, “The strongest (and most important) influence that the winemaker has regarding wine quality is through proper sanitation.”
In addition to the purity of your wine, maintaining your facility is important for the safety of your employees. The frequent wash downs of your equipment can cause your floor to become very slippery. These issues should all be controlled day-to-day; however, the effort used to control them can be limited if you have a properly designed facility. With the constant cleaning of your winery, metal can start to corrode due to all the water and chemicals involved in cleaning. This can add a significant amount of costs.
While stainless steel is a commonly accepted material used in the wine industry, it is very costly. It cannot be replaced with other metals in most cases because of the increased risk of rust and corrosion. There is another solution! Fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) products! FRP offers superior corrosion resistance in comparison to traditional materials such as wood and metal. It is extremely light weight and easy to fabricate.
These products are extremely light weight and easy to install. They can be fabricated on site. There is no need for special machinery to lift our grating as it is significantly lighter than substitute metal products.
FRP can and will make a difference in your winery. Fibergrate offers FRP products with an antimicrobial resin system, so they are able to inhibit the growth of bacteria on the surface. The antimicrobial properties are actually mixed into the resin rather than just coating the product resulting in a longer lasting product. The antimicrobial properties will further your ability to have a consistently quality wine.
FRP is extremely easy to clean. Due to the corrosion resistance, you do not have to spend time making sure surfaces are 100% dry as you would have to with corrosive metal.
Fibergrate’s FRP can significantly reduce your risk of injury in your winery. There are various slip resistant finishes (meniscus being more popular in the food and beverage industry). Slips and falls are a large risk for any industry and can be very, very costly. It is important to do what you can to prevent this risk rather than having to pay the hefty price later.
Fibergrate knows your industry. We have worked with wineries to find new solutions. Allow us to show you how using FRP in your facility will lead to significant cost savings, a safer environment, and a more consistent environment to produce your wine.
Emile Paynaud – Knowing and Making Wine
https://winegrapes.tamu.edu/winemaking/Sanitation%20Guide.pdf