Crush Pad
We can receive hand harvested fruit in half-ton bins or machine harvested fruit in gondolas. The receiving pad consists of a Weightronix truck scale and printer, two 7 ton membrane presses and one 15 ton membrane press (www.euromachinesusa.com) with s/s dump hopper for whole cluster pressing. Two destemmer-crushers: Rauch E20 and Euroselect ES, to ensure uninterrupted receiving capacity. Two presses utilize direct to press systems if requested to minimize solids and for “dug-out” red fermentations. Two separate refrigeration systems: 70 ton and 50 ton (www.rti2000.com) ensure redundancy and more than sufficient capacity for rapid cooling of juice. Tube in tube must chiller capable of decreasing must temperature 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Additionally, we have a 700 KW generator to ensure uninterrupted electrical service.
Laboratory
PWG has a fully equipped laboratory with a full-time Lab Director and lab assistant during harvest. Our production software system, Winemaker Database, allows clients to track their bulk inventory in real-time. From the time juice or bulk wine arrives at PWG, every movement, addition, chemical analysis and process is recorded in the system.
Tank Farm
172 tanks total over 404,000 gallons in tank capacity. All fermentation tanks are fully jacketed and individually temperature controlled. Tanks sizes range from 180 to 15,500 gallons to isolate and handle individual lots. Red fermentations can either be pumped over to specification, punched-down or rotary fermented (www.taylormadenz.com). Red tank fermenters range in size from 2 to 20 tons. All red ferment pomace is “dug out” to maximize free run quality versus pumping macerated skins back into the press. All tanks have individual PC compatible temperature controllers (www.rti2000.com) and can be heated or cooled.
Barrel Rooms
Our two barrel rooms are individually temperature controlled to minimize wine loss and maximize wine quality. Standardized barrel racks can accommodate 225-300 liter barrels. Barrel processing features include a semi-automatic filling and racking system, hot water and high pressure washing with a Gamajet inverted barrel washing device and Ozone capabilities.
Bottling Line
Full in-line 8,000 bottle/hour bottling line. APE depalletizer for bulk glass, GAI bottle rinsing (24) spouts, cardboard dust evacuating via compressed air or filtered water and gas bottle sparging device utilizing nitrogen. GAI monoblock (36) spout vacuum/gas sparging and electro-pneumatic filler with double (2) nitrogen sparging and triple (5) head vacuum corker. Nitrodose headspace droplet device, AROL four head screw capping machine, capable of applying Stevlin and Stevlin Lux screw caps with ground mounted elevator for capsule delivery. Automatic capsule dispenser and eight (8) head (reversible) capsule spinner and heat shrink capability. Automatic champagne capsule dispenser and pleating device. Makro – four stations (neck, front, back and tax stamp possible) ten (10) turret pressure sensitive servo motor driven labeler with optical orientation system (molded bottles, off the seam of bottle). Infinity bottle/label inspection system with ‘push-out’ station. Bottle inkjet printer. Cleveland Automatic Case Erector with bottom of carton hot melt glue sealer. APE 12 bottle, re-shipper cartons case packer, APE 24 bottle case packer and inserter, ABC case sealer with top of carton hot melt glue sealer or top and bottom ‘Little David’ tape case taper. Print and apply case label applicator. Lanxess Velcorin DT 6 S dosing unit. All link/controlled by GSA speed integration electronic controller.
Wastewater Management System
In 2019 Premium Wine Group became the first winery in the United States to install a BioGill® advanced wastewater treatment system. Wastewater is a significant byproduct of craft beverage production and contains high levels of nutrients that if not properly managed can negatively effect environments. Our state of the art BioGill technology uses naturally occurring bacteria to remove nutrients that would otherwise adversely impact our soils and water table. At this time we are the only craft beverage producer on Long Island that is managing its wastewater. The installation of this system was voluntary and without mandate. This investment demonstrates our commitment to sustainability and puts us in a unique class of wine production facilities.
Additional Equipment
- Numerous ‘gentle on wine’ Waukesha (twin lobe) pumps
- Pneumatic pumps for press juice movement
- Pneumatic ‘punch-down’ tool above (18) red fermentation tanks
- (2) In-line tank heaters to maintain warm red ferments, correct malo-lactic temperature in tank, pre-bottling temperature control
- (2) Crossflow filtration systems Vaslin Bucher FX 3 with lees filtration add-on capability, Plate and Frame pad filters and membrane cartridge filtration capability
- Steam and ozone capability
- On-demand Hot water system to deliver 160 degrees water
- Squire Plus 2 Keg Filling Station
- TORR 130 Bag-in-Box Semi-Automated Filler