Famous Winemaker Alessio Carli Demonstrates His Strategies for Optimum Hot Water Winery Sanitation
SuperKlean Washdown Products has been manufacturing the world’s leading hot water sanitation products for over 30 years. Our distributors sell SuperKlean hot and cold water mixers, hose swivel fittings, adapters, hot water spray nozzles and hoses in over 40 different vertical markets, making us one of the most popular sanitation companies at over 10,000 plants and factories world-wide.
One special vertical market where we have been extremely successful is wineries. Thousands of the finest wineries in over 30 countries depend on SuperKlean to help sanitize their wine cellars and entire vineyard. Recently, SuperKlean was invited to tour one of the most beautiful wineries in the Uvas Valley of California, home to dozens of fine wineries. This area is not far from the Pacific Ocean and popular tourist spots like Monterrey, the famed Pebble Beach 17 mile drive, and Santa Cruz.
Our host for the afternoon was prominent winemaker Alessio Carli, who was gracious enough to take us on an extensive tour of Dorcich’s operation that has been in existence for over 120 years, since 1897. Alessio is a native of Sienna Italy and has been making acclaimed wine in California for almost 30 years.
Alessio uses SuperKlean products as an integral component in strategically sanitizing his state of the art winery, upholding Dorcich’s long history of environmentally-conscious farming and wine growing, a hallmark of the Dorcich family.
Our first impression was how pristine the grounds and buildings were, from the tasting rooms to the cellars and on to the outer buildings. Alessio showed us how he has been using SuperKlean mixing stations, nozzles and adapters for over 17 years for his hot water washdown.
Dorcich Family Vineyards produces a variety of wines, specializing in cabernet, merlot, and Syrah, along with chardonnay, and sauvignon blanc. At this particular facility Alessio uses 10 SuperKlean 3600 Series Hot & Cold Mixing stations, along with SuperKlean’s 150 Series hot water spray nozzles and hose swivel fittings.
One interesting strategy Alessio implements to keep his cellars ultra-clean is to not leave washdown hoses uncurled on his winery floors. To accomplish this he installs SuperKlean 3600 Series hot and cold water mixers in close proximity to each other. This allows him to use a shorter washdown hose that is easier for winery employees to manage and roll back up after usage, directly on the 3600’s included industrial hose racks.
This one simple strategy makes winery sanitation easier for the Dorcich winery staff, and also saves tripping over large, heavy hoses. Many other wineries use SuperKlean hot and cold mixing valves and commercial hose nozzles in the same way, finding that wine cellar floors will dry quicker without long, wet washdown hoses lying on the floor.
Potentially bad bacteria can form on wet floors with warm, tepid water, especially between 70 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit. In addition, the effective life of an industrial hose can be limited, due to laying in wet areas while bacteria forms, and also as a result of constant dragging of long heavy hoses across cellar or factory floors. Knowledgeable managers know that over time water-filled hoses dragged across some concrete floors can develop microscopic abrasions and grooves that more quickly break down rubber hoses, and provide a place for bacteria to accumulate.
For example, with a 25 foot hose, it is simple to use hot water to sanitize a small area by just unwinding the hose a few times from the hose rack. Many wineries, including Dorcich, will install low-cost 3600 Series SuperKlean mixers just 25 to 40 feet apart so they can perform spot hot water cleaning and sanitation in trouble areas throughout the cellar. Dorcich often purchases SuperKlean 3600 hot & cold water mixers with our optional temperature gauge so they can also monitor hot water temperatures during cellar sanitation.
SuperKlean has designed our hot water sanitation products so they do not leak unwanted water onto floors, starting with the hot and cold water connections at the base of our mixing stations, all the way through the hose, to the end of the industrial hose nozzle. Each SuperKlean hot and cold water mixer is available with quick, quarter-turn hot and cold water mixing valves. These ball valves provide quick, no leak on and off operation. This is Alessio’s 3600 of choice. Some wineries prefer globe valves that can offer more precise hot water temperature control.
If you would like to watch a video of our visit to the Dorcich Family Vineyards, please click on the video above. For more information on what specific SuperKlean products that Dorcich Family Vineyards uses, or which of our extensive line of hot water sanitation products would be best for your winery, please call SuperKlean at 1-88-769-9173. You can visit SuperKlean’s website www.superklean.com to view our full line of products and fill out our contact form with your needs. We will get back to you quickly.
