Sun and Shadow in your Cellar
Vineyard management (wikipedia)
Does your cellar heat in summer?
Is it too cool in winter?
Use the sun and shade with vine leaves.
Wineries should be taken very stable temperature throughout the year for proper conservation of wine. A simple porch grape vine will help.
Storage temperature of red wine.
The optimal temperatures for preservation of red wine in wooden barrels are between 57°F and 64ºF (14-18°C). For varietal red wine varieties, the temperature in the hold should be between 59-61ºF (15-16 º C).
The underground winery provides that conservation of temperature throughout the year because they are well insulated from outside temperatures. But the area wineries are strongly influenced by the summer heat and winter cold, with temperatures in the interior of the cellar exceeding upper and lower limits recommended. And therefore you have to spend a lot of energy for air conditioning or heating.
Pergola for grape leaves: shade in summer.
A large grape vine pergola over your entire warehouse will help regulate the temperature in your cellar. The concept is very simple.
Build a pergola of the material you want (eg treated wood) above the flat roof of your cellar. The height should allow the passage of a person below to pick the grapes produced in this bower, whose trunks will have to go through the side of the cellar to the ground, where they are the roots.
It is important to have a long overhangs in the direction of the sun’s path both to the S or N (depending on hemisphere) as to the E and O for shade during almost all hours of the day, not only on the cover but also on the facades.
Pergola in winter warms your wine cellar.
The advantage of a grape arbor is that in winter the leaves fall, so that the sun may heat up the top cover and the side walls. This will help maintain the internal temperature of the cellar.
Bioclimatic building.
To maintain stable temperatures inside the cellar it will not be enough seasonal shading grape vine. In the event that you still have to build the winery, I recommend that you contact specialists bioclimatism architects who are experts on good wall insulation and smart way to generate natural air currents.
I acknowledge that the idea is very simple, but it really helps to save energy and produce better quality wines. Especially if your cellar is isolated from the mains!
Are you using a grape vine pergola in your cellar? Do you have a flat roof where to do it? Thank you for your comments of interest to other wine producers!
