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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 its wine. According to Emile Peynaud, the French oenologist and researcher, “Cleanliness is a basic condition for quality. The whole of oenological science would be to no avail if the work itself were done in dirty places.”
Consistent quality begins with consistency at the very start of the process. A high-quality wine cannot be produced reliably if the winery is not kept to a consistently high standard of cleanliness. Hygiene, however, is only part of the picture — your workforce plays an equally important role in maintaining that consistency. Looking after your employees is one of the most effective ways to keep them. By ensuring your facility meets rigorous health and safety standards, you will foster a safer working environment and, in turn, see significantly stronger staff 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 like the cleanliness of your facilities, the training and well-being of your staff, and the rigour of your quality checks throughout the production process.
Alongside maintaining the purity of your wine, keeping your facility in good order is essential for the safety of your workforce. Frequent equipment washdowns are a necessary part of winery operations, but they can leave floors extremely slippery and create ongoing safety hazards. These risks need to be managed on a daily basis. Repeated exposure to water and cleaning chemicals also causes metal surfaces and fittings to corrode over time, leading to costly repairs and replacements if not properly accounted for in the design of your facility.
Stainless steel is widely used across the wine industry, but it comes at a high cost. In most cases, it cannot be substituted with other metals, as the risk of rust and corrosion is simply too high. However, there is a practical alternative worth considering — Glass Reinforced Plastic, or GRP. GRP offers excellent corrosion resistance compared to traditional materials, such as wood and metal, and is both lightweight and easy to fabricate and install. They can be fabricated on-site, and there is no need for special machinery to lift GRP grating panels, as they are significantly lighter than substitute metal products.
GRP can and will make a difference in your winery. Fibergrate offers GRP products with FGI-AM® resin system, infused with Microban® antimicrobial product protection, which inhibits the growth of odour and stain-causing bacteria for the lifespan of the product.
GRP 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 GRP 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 GRP in your facility will lead to significant cost savings, a safer environment, and a more consistent environment to produce your wine.
