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Dorcich Vineyards
As the 2007 harvest season approaches, we would like to inform winemakers of
new opportunities at Dorcich Vineyards. This harvest we will be
offering destemming & sorting capabilities using the most advanced
technology available on the market today. Below are
grape prices and descriptions of the equipment.
| Varietal | Price per Ton | Destemmed & Sorted | Anticipated Harvest |
| Chardonnay | $1,800 | $2,000 | Second half of September |
| Merlot | $1,800 | $2,000 | Early October |
| Syrah | $2,100 | $2,300 | Late October |
| Zinfandel | $1,500 | $1,700 | Late October |
| Cabernet Sauvignon | $1,800 | $2,000 | First of November |
As one of the first wineries in North America to purchase the Ambruster Rotovib destemmer, we are giving you access to the most gentle destemmer in the world. The Rotovib adds a linear, vibrating movement to the destemmer cylinder and pin shaft. This additional energy causes a dispersion of the grapes inside the destemming cylinder and allows the reduction of the speed of the pin shaft by approximately 50-60% (= more gentle). The resulting movement allows ripe grapes to separate from the stem before being scraped off by the pin shaft. There is also a reduction of pressure on the grapes. The destemming cylinder consists of impact-resistant plastic segments with no sharp edges. The entire system assists in superior grape selection and superior results.
Post destemming, we have also invested in the only true automated sorting system. The Mistral® system, by Vaucher-Beguet (15-20/units in the U.S.), utilizes various components to segregate clean, sound berries from waste (ranging from green matter to raisins and broken berries). The system also has the capacity to further segregate waste and clean product into distinct quality. The sorting tables associated with the system captures free run juice while further removing vegetal matter, both pre-destemmer and post-destemming. The Mistral® system has won industry awards.
| Pre-destemmer | Mistral Automated Sorting System | ||
|---|---|---|---|
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| Manual Harvest | Ripe Berries | Waste | Clean Product |
Top custom crush facilities in Napa charge $700 extra per ton to process the grapes through the automated sorting system (Vaucher-Beguet Mistral) alone. We are the first in the area to have a similar system for premium wine grapes to create the best wines. We are offering the destemming and sorting at an additional charge of $0.10-$0.15 per lb or $200-300/ton.
Thoughts on the system from Raymond Vineyards in Napa regarding the Mistral:
"Already the results have been dramatic," said Walter Raymond. "We felt the wines were less 'green’, softer, and had started to age and pick up oak quicker."
In addition, all buyers of grapes using the destemming & sorting system who are willing to share their wines will be invited to a wine makers dinner at the vineyard to share and compare wines, approaches and discuss alternatives to improve everyone’s wines & abilities. Approximate timeframe will be summer after the harvest.
* Tonnage based on pre-destemming & pre-sorting weight. Estimated 5% loss from destemming, sorting losses will result in a 2%-5% loss; total loss estimated at 7-10% - therefore 1 ton will result in 1,800-1,860/lbs
Contact us for prices for processing grapes from other vineyards through the system