What an exciting thing! The vines are in the ground. The outside is looking more and more beautiful every day. Now it’s time to focus on the inside. We did some quick preparations before our delivery from The Vintner’s Vault would come. Matt built a nice lab area using Hickory cabinets and Emerald Granite provided us with a nice piece of granite for the counter. Delivery went off without a hitch; a simple liftgate delivery at the road side. Matt loaded up the equipment in his truck and drove it down to the house. So what’d we get??
Pump Vigor Mini. The pump is the key workhorse in a winery. Whether you’re bottling, pressing, or racking; your pump is always involved. And although this pump is mini, it packs a punch. It’s a variable speed pump with dual direction that uses a corded remote control, and can pump up to 22 GPM. This will handle anything that we have to throw at it.
Zambelli Bottle Filler Pro 4 Spout. Every winery needs a bottle filler, and ours is no exception. It’s a bit simple, but sometimes that’s all you need. You simply connect your pump to it using a tri-clove connectors and a hose, and you’re ready to go. The wine fills up the hopper on top where there is a mechanical stainless steel float that closes the valve when it fills.
Zambelli Corker Standard. After we fill those bottles we have to cork them, right? The simple floor corker is a bit of work, but for now will get the job done. Simply put a cork in the Teflon jaws, push down the handle and it compresses the cork right into the bottle. Clean and easy.
Stainless Steel Capsule Shrinker. Another simple necessary tool. This is used for PVC capsules. Simply slip a capsule onto a corked bottle, and stick under the heating element to have it shrink to the bottle for a perfect fit.
Odds and ends and all the little things. Hoses, clamps, gaskets, filter housing, cartridges, fittings, etc. The less romantic things in wine making, but all just as necessary!
