Vino Vessel is the first company in the United States to usher concrete winemaking tanks into the 21st century, harnessing concrete’s timeless benefits while meeting today’s standards of sanitation, durability and portability. Our modern concrete tanks ultimately represent the best of both winemaking worlds, merging numerous qualities of oak and stainless steel while offering several distinct advantages over both.

Comparisons to Oak

Like oak barrels and uprights, our modern concrete tanks allow for the natural oxygenation of wine, which is the primary benefit of oak aging. The effect is similar to maturing a wine in neutral oak barrels, to achieve a specific style or to develop strategic blending components.

Advantages over Oak

* More affordable storage per gallon
* Easier to clean and sanitize
* Less space intensive
* Less labor intensive
* Longer lasting

Comparisons to Stainless Steel

Like stainless steel, our neutral concrete tanks are easy to clean and sanitize, and they come in a wide variety of styles and capacities with standardized fittings. The lifespan of our tanks also rivals stainless steel.

Advantages over Stainless Steel

* Natural oxygenation for enhanced wine maturation
* Reduces refrigeration costs

With Vino Vessel, you can ultimately achieve comparable quality to wines crafted in oak or steel, but with added energy efficiency and cost effectiveness.

Call us today to set up a complimentary consultation, and to learn how Vino Vessel can take your winemaking program to the next level.

For all your concrete needs for construction, remodels, commercial needs and more visit:
Advancedcrete.net

Developing old technology
Janis Switzer

When Jake and Josh Beckett started researching new winemaking techniques for their new winery, Chronic Cellars, a little over a year ago, they came across a new trend in France: the use of fermentation tanks made of concrete.

Instead of contacting the French producers of those tanks, however, they called an old high school friend and surfing buddy, Micah Utter.
“They said, ‘Hey, you’ve got to check out these new concrete wine tanks,’ ” Utter remembers. “So we did some homework on the Internet, and here we are today.”

Where Utter is today is at the beginning of what may be the future of his business. He launched Vino Vessel Inc. just last year, making his first two tanks for the Beckett brothers and has since booked orders for several other local wineries.

He has just launched a national ad campaign for his products — the only such products made in the U.S. — and his tanks have just been written up in Wines and Vines, a national wine industry publication.

The idea of fermenting wine in concrete, rather than tanks traditionally made of stainless steel or oak, at first sounds odd. They are large, heavy, behemoth-looking creatures, poured in various oval, cube and pyramid shapes. One is even named “Hippo” after the large, squat animal it resembles.

Even though the idea is new to wineries here, it is not a new concept. “It’s old technology that’s been in place for a long time, but with stainless steel coming into fruition, it phased out,” Utter says.

Utter learned everything he needed to develop the line of tanks, ranging from a few hundred gallons to over 8,000, online.

Although his company has in the past poured foundations and driveways, his experience with concrete helped him develop a special concrete mix that is both non-toxic and untreated by chemicals.

The tanks are prized for their temperature control, but they also have some qualities that stainless steel doesn’t have thanks to the porous nature of concrete.

“You’re not really going to get a flavor from it, but it makes the fruit stand forward more and become more of a clean tasting wine,” Utter says.

Utter understands the needs of winemakers, because he is one himself. Making wine in his garage for the last several years, he says, has helped him in the design of the tanks.

“I can’t even imagine doing this without having some basic knowledge on how the whole process works,” Utter says. He is also planning a line of tanks for home winemakers.

He developed his first prototypes for Chronic Cellars — two 300-gallon tanks, one for white, one for red. He has since produced tanks for Booker Vineyards and Caymus in Napa, and he has orders for JC Cellars and Epoch Wines. Justin Vineyard & Winery is also experimenting with the tanks, having ordered them from France before Vino Vessel was in full production.

With a product line that includes four standard sizes, he also can customize the tanks to meet a wide range of needs.

In addition to drains molded into the concrete for racking, draining, tasting and pressure relief, heating and cooling plates can also be installed.

Depending on the size, most are made in Utter’s 2,500-square-foot production facility off Ramada Drive in Paso Robles.

He can also pour the larger tanks on site, a necessity for some that can measure up to 16 feet wide and weigh well over 10,000 pounds.

Starting at about $5,000 for his smaller tank, up to $10,000 for his 970-gallon model, the cost of concrete is slightly higher than its stainless steel counterpart, but the tanks have a life span of up to 15 years.

One disadvantage to the tanks is their weight.

“They’re definitely not portable,” Utter says.

Although the smaller units can be moved with a standard forklift, the larger models generally stay permanently in place once Vino Vessel delivers them with its industrial crane.

As he continues to develop new products, and focuses on getting word out around the country about his company, Utter, 31, sees a huge future for concrete wine tanks.

“The way that the economy is and the way wine sales are today, whatever story you can tell to set yourself apart to sell your wine is where you want to be.”

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Concrete tanks find solid support from California industry

by Jane Firstenfeld

Paso Robles, Calif. — Concrete fermenters have long been a staple of the European industry, as they were with the immigrant winemakers of the New World, but with the advent of oak barrels and stainless steel tanks, the market for them crumbled decades ago. In the past few years, however, some progressive makers of high-end wines rediscovered their advantages.

Last year concrete tanks in a variety of shapes and sizes became more accessible to the California market, when Artisan Barrels in Berkeley became an importer for Burgundy’s Nomblot line, and an established Central Coast concrete vendor to the construction industry began to manufacture them under the name VinoVessel.

Charles Thomas, longtime winemaker at Napa Valley’s Rudd Estate and now at Quintessa, is credited with starting the vogue when he and Delia Viader of Viader Vineyards shared the shipping costs on a container of odd-shaped concrete vessels from Nomblot (See “Concrete Fermenters: From Old School to New World,” Wines & Vines, November 2005). Thomas continued importing them until last year, when Artisan took over the Nomblot franchise. In his first year of selling them, Artisan owner Jérôme Aubin told Wines & Vines, the Nomblots accounted for about 15% of his business, which also includes oak barrels and stainless steel tanks.

The 150-gallon Pyramid from VinoVessel has a slanted base and front-access manway.
Advocates say that concrete preserves wine character, mouthfeel and volume by providing consistent micro-oxygenation like that of barrels. Concrete also has the advantage of maintaining temperatures through its inherent insulating characteristics. Aubin says that oak adjuncts can be used if desired.

Micah Utter, president and CEO of VinoVessel and its parent company, Advanced Concrete and Construction Inc., grew up on the Central Coast, was intrigued by the wine business, and was inspired to enter the field when prompted by Josh Beckett, winemaker at Paso Robles’ Peachy Canyon, who was looking for a local source for concrete tanks. Utter spent much of last year in research and development, and already has delivered and installed eight of his whimsically shaped and named vessels. They are made of raw concrete (no lining), the interiors plastered with slurry for a smooth finish. Each has a standard 21 x 16-inch manway in the front and at least a 16-inch manway on the top, for ease of access. VinoVessel recommends proxyclean or ozenator for sanitation: “Do not use hot water,” Utter cautioned, because the stainless steel fittings would expand and might cause cracking.

Stock VinoVessels range from the 150-gallon Pyramid to the 970-gallon Oval; depending on the model, they weigh between 4,500 to 10,000 pounds. VinoVessel provides delivery and installation for these heavyweights, which, Utter estimates, will remain serviceable, “with proper care, probably around 10 years.” If they become discolored or otherwise unsuitable for fermenting, he adds, they can be epoxy-lined for neutral storage, no longer porous but retaining concrete’s useful thermal properties.

Aubin points out that Nomblot has delivered as many as 18,000 tanks to wineries in Burgundy, and has had to replace only three since 1923, which hints at a much longer lifespan for concrete vessels. He points out, too, that the current, smaller models, although by no means portable, can be moved if necessary, unlike old-style “poured-in-place” tanks.

Utter mentions that, due to many wineries’ concerns with aesthetics, he was “Shooting for an appealing, attractive look.” In addition to the fanciful but practical shapes he concocts, he’s also been exploring decorative concepts including staining the exterior to provide color while retaining porosity, and sandblasting logos or other devices to customize the tanks. “I’d like to try making some that look like simulated rocks for wine caves,” he says hopefully.

Because of his roots in earthquake-vulnerable California, Utter has also developed “seismic-friendly” legs to safely elevate the tanks.

Prices for VinoVessels start around $5,300USD, depending on size and options. Artisan’s price list starts at $5,051 USD for a 158-gallon “egg” tank. Utter says he can deliver a VinoVessel in about eight weeks; Aubin advises that California vintners order Nomblots for this year’s vintage within the next two weeks.

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Nov, 2005 by Tim Teichgraeber

You see them when you tour older wineries in poorer parts of Spain or Portugal–big cement fermentation tanks, squarish in proportion and often open-topped or covered with a slab of metal. To those of us accustomed to polished stainless steel fermenters, they seem a throwback to the dark ages of winemaking, days when barber-surgeons operated on people with rusty tools and wines still had that elusive sense of place that can only be imbued by distinctly local bacteria and blissful ignorance of the niceties of microbiology and organic chemistry.

Many of the old-school concrete fermenters that are still in use in the United States and abroad have long since been coated in wax or some sort of inert material to keep the wine from direct contact with the concrete, often for reasons known precisely only to the ancestors of the previous winemaker.

In the U.S., those old concrete tanks are seldom seen on winery tours, and when they are, the official line is generally, “They’re being phased out.” But in similarly tech-savvy Australian wineries, concrete tanks are still the preferred fermentation vessel for production of many of the nation’s classic wines: Hardy’s Eileen Hardy Shiraz, Tyrell’s Vat 9 Shiraz and Torbreck RunRig Shiraz, to name but a few. Penfolds stopped using them for Grange in 1973, but the lined concrete fermenters at Penfolds’ Magill Winery are still used for other wines.

By some reports, square, open-top concrete fermenters are still widely used in Burgundy. While they aren’t necessarily fashionable throughout Bordeaux, Christian Moueix and his head winemaker Jean-Claude Berrouet exclusively employ modern concrete fermenters coated with an interior layer of cement to make Chateau Petrus, Chateau Lafleur-Petrus and Chateau Trotanoy in Pomerol.

For Moueix, concrete is more than just a sturdy alternative to stainless steel and oak foudres–it’s the material of choice. Does concrete have unique properties that oak and stainless steel lack? Some obviously believe that it does, and their success has piqued the curiosity of some American winemakers. Viader and Rudd Estate are two top-shelf Napa wineries that are taking a hard look at concrete fermenters.

Cement Versus Concrete

Cement and concrete are terms which are often used interchangeably, but the two materials aren’t identical.

Cement is generally composed of limestone, calcium, silicon, iron and aluminum, plus other trace materials. It is cooked in kilns to form marble-like “clinkers,” then ground into a powdery sand, to which gypsum is added. Mix it with a little water and allow it to set, and you have nice hard cement.

Concrete is made from crushed stone, rock and sand held together by cement. The cement is only about 15% of the total mass of concrete. Concrete is stronger and less porous than cement alone.

Advantages Of Concrete Fermenters

Advocates of concrete fermenters generally cite concrete’s ability to maintain a steady temperature during fermentation as one if its chief benefits. Even wax- or steel-coated concrete tanks share that temperature-stabilizing quality.

At the Bear Creek Winery facility in Lodi, Calif., where Ironstone and Leaping Horse wines are made, winemaker Craig Rous likes to use the 24,000 gallon epoxy-lined, closed-top fermenters, supplemented with oak staves, to produce his Chardonnay.

“They’re efficient, and not everyone ferments on oak. It gives you more integration into the wine … it softens the wine and adds butter and toffee character,” Rous says.

Christian Moueix also praises the temperature stability of concrete fermenters, and believes that they produce clean-tasting wines. “The fermenters maintain a stable temperature throughout fermentation, which is very beneficial during the end part of maceration,” says Moueix, whose fermenters range in size from 1,500 to 3,000 liters.

“You have a very clean wine and you do not get the residual musty essence from the barrels or cellar,” says Moueix, who also believes that concrete helps to combat reduction. “The disadvantage is that it is very hard to keep it sanitary.”

Like wood, concrete is also to some degree permeable. Does that give concrete a micro-oxygenative effect that helps to add texture? “It’s definitely permeable, which makes it very similar to wood–micro-ox is the new word for it,” says Charles Thomas, winemaker at Napa Valley’s Rudd Estate. “Don’t be surprised if, after you put the first wine in there, the level goes down six inches.”

Rudd Estate and Viader are two notable Napa Valley wineries that have been experimenting with concrete fermenters for the last couple of years. In fact, they split the cost of shipping a container of fermenters from a producer named Nomblot in Burgundy (cuves-a-vin.com). According to Rudd Estate’s Thomas, Nomblot was best known for producing concrete mausoleums before it began producing concrete fermenters in quirky sizes and shapes.

Thomas currently has one pyramid-shaped open top 1,050-gallon fermenter. Delia Viader has several 600-gallon egg-shaped fermenters, but says she may move to slightly larger ones with the same shape.

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Fermenting Wine in Cement Tanks

Users cite excellent temperature retention, ease of handling and ability to breathe among the attributes of cement tanks.
by John Intardonato

Sometimes in the wine world, changes that seem new can also be very old, perhaps almost as old as dirt. The Romans, for instance, were using cement vessels to ferment wine 2,000 years ago. While the material is not for everyone, the technique of producing wine in cement is returning to a few of Napa Valley’s super-premium wineries. The tanks, which come in unusual shapes–including eggs, pyramids and squat ovals–raise the question of whether this is the future shape of the wine country. Will cement be the next new Napa nuance?

Charles Thomas, former winemaker at Rudd Vineyards & Winery in Oakville and now with Quintessa, may have helped to start this revisionist revolution back in 2003 when he imported cement tanks to ferment some of Rudd’s wines. Since then, Tim Mondavi, winemaker for the soon to be released Continuum; Charlie Wagner of Caymus and Conundrum wineries and Alan Viader of Viader winery are also mixing concrete with some of their ultra high-end fruit. Others, too, are becoming serious about the process.

“The tanks we have are the 400 HL (about 1,000 gallons) oval tanks, and we’re using them exclusively for our white wine called Mer Soleil, Silver. It’s an un-oaked Chardonnay from the Santa Lucia Highlands, and it retails for $40,” Wagner said. “We started with six tanks and currently have 20 of them, and hope to get more in the future.”

Mondavi stated: “I’ve seen them in use at Petrus–some of the world’s most expensive wines; and I’ve seen trials, both here and in Bordeaux, involving oak casks, cement and stainless steel. The results have come up with oak, of course, first, but cement comes in a close second. Stainless is a distant third. While at Continuum, our emphasis is on oak. We also have two cement fermentors as part of our new winery.”

Viader said he, too, is using cement containers to ferment some of his reds. “We’re doing Petit Verdot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc and a little bit of Cab,” he said. “For us, we’re seeing that it really expresses the bright fruit characters of the wine. We’re getting nice, fresh, really expressive aromas which, for some reason, come out a lot more in cement.”

Patrick Sullivan, the present winemaker at Rudd, added: “While I’m still new to these tanks, I’m impressed with the results. In fact, we’re planning on phasing out some of our old stainless and increasing our cement tanks to about 40 percent of production. At this point, I just need to find the room.”

Jeff Cohn of JC Cellars in Oakland said he is eager to try his new cement tank on his Rhône-style white. “I actually just bought the one that was on display at the wine symposium in Sacramento, and they just delivered it,” he said. “I can’t wait to see how it affects my wine. From what I’ve sampled, I’m hoping for a richer wine with more minerality and lots of fruit.”

Re-entering the Market

The man behind the reinvention of cement, Thomas, said he first got the idea in the 1980s when he talked to a winemaker at the Woodbridge winery in Lodi. “They were still fermenting in cement tanks back then, and they were very loyal to them,” he said. “They didn’t seem to have any problems and, in fact, felt very good about them.” He began to notice them again on his trips to France. “If you go around the wine cellars of Burgundy, you’ll see that maybe half of the cellars that produce red Burgundy are using concrete tanks–and have been for generations. It’s the same in other parts of France. In the Pomerol and St Emillion, there are a lot of concrete tanks among the smaller estates. The co-ops look like San Quentin prison, and what look like cell blocks are actually wine tanks.”

Thomas said he decided to order them after tasting the wine. “You get richness without oak. I think the wine is more aromatically pure. They’re easy to take care of, so long as you don’t use a high-pressure sprayer or hot water beyond about 110 (degrees Farenheit),” he said.

Cube fermenting tanks at the Viader Winery. These units hold approximately 900 gallons and were made by ETS Nomblot, a company in Burgundy, France. Sizes range from 70 gallons to 10,000 gallons and beyond. Many are made to order.
Mondavi said their two 1,000-gallon cement tanks also came from Burgundy. They were purchased two years ago for his family’s “new beginning” in winemaking. They were used in the fermentation of their germinal wine, the 2005 Continuum, which is scheduled for release on April 2. He is making the wine in a family partnership with his sister, Marcia, and his iconic father Robert and Robert’s wife Margrit.

He said the two tanks, “cubes,” were used along with eight oak casks to produce the family’s proprietary blend, a mix of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The fruit is primarily from the To-Kalon vineyard in Oakville and the Mondavi Stag’s Leap vineyard.

“We’ve invested in these tanks in part because they have excellent temperature retention,” Mon­davi said. “The great thing about the cement is that it is so well insulated that you don’t have to use much energy to cool it down or heat it up. The cubes also give great extraction of flavor and color. Unlike stainless, which can produce an austere wine, cement, like wood, gives richer, more supple flavors. There is something in the material that retains more fruit flavors as well as complexity. It’s a great combination.”

Ease of handling is another important feature of cement, according to Mondavi. “They don’t require the same intense care necessary for managing oak, but they should be watched carefully to avoid any biological madness going on. Just brush with tartaric acid, keep them dry and aired and treat with sulfur as needed.”

He said the family partnership produced a total of 1,500 cases from the 2005 vintage. Its suggested price is $125 a bottle, and his daughter, Carissa, will be managing and marketing the brand.

According to Wagner of Conundrum, the inspiration behind his cement tanks “was to offer two different flavors from the same vineyard and come up on opposite ends of the spectrum,” he said. “Everything about the fruit is the same: the treatment of the vineyard, the pruning, irrigation, fertilizer. It’s the style that’s different, and the cement containers add to this distinction. This is our second vintage of the non-oak, non-stainless style, and we’re making it to complement our Malo-treated, oak-aged wine, the original Mer Soleil. I wouldn’t say the tanks add a flavor, but I would say they add to the texture, give it a twist.”

Wagner said they keep the Silver in cement about six months and then a month in stainless to get it cold, heat stable and bottle ready. “I named it Silver because of the cut of the word itself; it connotes a cool, crisp style. That’s what we want to come to mind.” Their flagship Mer Soleil, on the other hand, spends a whole year in French oak and receives 50 percent malolactic treatment.

Wagner said he first saw the tanks at Viader and, when he was on a trip to Burgundy, decided to visit the factory. “I ordered six,” he said. “That’s how it started for us–ordered them on a whim, hoping they would work for our new style Chardonnay–and they have. The guy at the plant said he would take care of everything. He shipped them to Oakland and set them up in Salinas. The tanks weigh about 8,500 pounds, so shipping really adds to the cost: They were $10,000 each. The shipping added another $6,000 apiece.”

According to Viader, they have three 900-gallon fermenting tanks (cubes) and one 150-gallon egg and are utilizing every one. “It’s something my mom read about and was very excited about. I got excited, too,” he said. “We’ve had them now for four years and plan to get a few more. They produce a soft, gentle fermentation, leaving the aromas intact. It’s easy to clean and a lot less care than wood. You don’t have to worry about them drying out. We store wine in them for six months. The egg we’re using for Petit Verdot. We’re blending it with wine from new French oak. That blend, together, is beautiful. The bright fruit from the egg and the flavors and complexity from the barrel play together very well. We’re having a lot of fun with it.”

He added that it handles the malolactic very well. “If anything, fermentations start a little bit earlier. I can only do a five-day cold soak while with stainless, I can go to 10. The porous nature of the concrete does keep some yeast in there but that doesn’t bother me. It’s not an issue.” He likes the cube shape because he said it creates a wider cap and better extraction. An added feature of the egg, which sits vertically, forces the cap to stay down in the wine. His one complaint about the egg: It needs a door to remove the pomace. “If it had a door, I’d use it as much as possible. Then you could do everything in it.”

Rudd Winery, in Oakville, still has the greatest variety of cement containers. According to Sullivan, it is using six tanks: four round and two pyramids as fermentors. It also has eight eggs, plus one horizontal, called the “hippo.” The winery’s stock ranges from 70 gallons to 2,000. “Maceration is easier with these because the temp stays even for longer periods and the flavors are a standout,” he said.

His only concern is about the covers and the locking system on some of the small containers, where some of their whites are stored. “Excess aeration could be an issue, especially for the whites, so it’s important that the seals are checked and maintained, and locks are effective–but watch those SO2 levels, too,” Sullivan said. He said the eggs are holding Sauvignon Blanc; the hippo has Chardonnay; and the fermenting tanks are used for the Bordeaux varieties and Syrah.

Cohn, the newest kid on the block, is clearly enthusiastic about his new 150-gallon egg for its micro-aeration quality. He said he wants to temper the leaner, stainless style with the more supple flavors that he thinks cement will bring. “Cement has an ability to breathe, so I think it will produce a richer blend. At least that’s what I’ve tasted from other wines made in cement.”

His wine is a Rhône white called “First Date.” It’s made with 75 percent Roussanne and 25 percent Marsanne. “Up to now, I made it from a blend of 60 percent oak and 40 percent stainless steel. In cement I’m hoping for more fruit overtones and a brighter and more exotic wine. I’m hoping my First Date will become a second and third date for others.”

The majority of the tanks being used in the wine country are produced by the French firm ETS Nomblot SAS. Its factory is in Ecuisses, on the Route de Beaune in Burgundy. Marc Nomblot (pronounced Nomeblow) is the president of the family-run company, which has been making concrete wine tanks since 1922. He said it has produced over 15,000 tanks, ranging in size from a 70-gallon egg to containers that can hold 10,000 gallons and beyond. They come in assorted shapes, including rectangular, square (cube), elliptical (egg-shaped), trapezoidal (pyramid), truncated cone (upright cask) and round.

“Our vats are made of basic, high-quality cement plus washed gravel and sand and spring water, not chlorinated and with no other additives,” Nomblot said. All material is Burgundian. The small containers are made in sand molds in two pieces and then formed together with their own symbiotic stands. They are fitted with stainless steel caps and spouts. Most of his sales are for unlined tanks. “The tanks can be lined by epoxy, but all of the great wineries don’t want epoxy,” he added.

According to Nomblot, his clients include Domaine de la Romanee andConti Clos de Vougeot in Burgundy, Chateau Pontet-Canet in Bordeaux and Domaine du Chapoutier in the Rhône Valley. “Lafite-Rothschild has just placed an order for 20 new concrete tanks as well,” he said.

Brettanomyces

Because of the porosity of unlined cement and thus, possible breeding sites for contamination, the issue of Brettanomyces (Brett) becomes apparent. Brett is a ubiquitous spoilage yeast that loves wineries. It could leave the compelling scent of fresh leather but, more likely than not, a mousy, barnyard stench. It is a problem that Napa wineries love to hate but mostly fear because, as they strive for richer wines with higher pH, lower SO2 and no filtration to gain 9-plus scores, the risk increases for the heartbreak of Brett.

Nomblot said Brett is not a problem in his tanks if properly handled. “In 25 years [representing his firm], nobody had Brett problems with our concrete tanks. I have never had the question,” he said. “Winemakers have been surprised to see how easy the cleaning protocols are. The concept of a concrete tank, for most people, is that it is very rough and porous–so very difficult to clean. They expect to have to use extreme measures to clean the nooks and crannies that they think are inherent to concrete. Our concrete process is a special formulation. Just make sure to properly neutralize and sanitize the bare concrete interior tank walls as per the enclosed maintenance and preparation protocol,” he explained.

Once a year, his company suggests checking the condition of the gaskets and brushing the inner wall of the vats with a 30 percent tartaric solution. He also recommends the use of pH basic products such as Vitinet 0011, PeroxyClean or Vinoguard. The tanks should be rinsed with water at 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

Viader, when asked about the Brett issue, said: “There’s no Brett in our winery, and it’s a non-issue with us. Cement is no different than working with wood. We scrub them with an oxy-type wash, then use a tartaric solution. I go through with a little sulfur. I don’t need to, but I do. It helps to make me sleep better at night. Our tanks are outside in the fresh air, and we have no problems with mold or growth.”

A similar position is taken by Sullivan. “For us, so far, so good,” he said. “As to whether Brett is an inevitability in these tanks, I don’t know the answer to that. Cement may provide more of a harbor for contamination and perhaps more so than stainless. But there’s also more room for contamination in wood. So, I don’t believe it’s inevitable if you work to avoid it. The key, first of all, is to not have it [Brett] in your winery, and that’s our practice. We use ozone, Peroxy-carb, soda ash and citric or tartaric. If you don’t keep your tanks–any tanks–clean, you can wind up with VA or Brett. They don’t care where they live.”

Thomas added: “Brett to me is never a positive, anywhere. You have to keep your SO2 levels high enough for the pH balance of your wine and keep your residual sugar low–small amounts can make Brett very happy. Judicious racking is important. I’ve seen 50-year-old tanks in France holding up. It’s the quality of the cement that’s important, too.”

The Future

How big the market is for these cement tanks, especially with an expanding Euro, is still uncertain. This new, modest demand, however, is already inspiring competition. Steve Rosenblatt, president of Sonoma Cast Stone in Petaluma, said he has a prototype for a 180-gallon, egg-shaped fermentor/storage vessel and will begin production in June. “I already have orders for 12 and hope to have them ready by this year’s harvest,” Rosenblatt said. He admitted he got the idea from his winemaker, Don Van Staaveren, who admired the non-oak wines fermented in cement and thought there was a market for American-built tanks.

“Right now, we’re just in the engineering stage,” Rosenblatt said. “We’ve got a scale model and are working to complete our first mold.” The tanks will be made of high grade cement; and by using a bladder insert, the vat will be made as one piece. The stand will be made of steel and have pockets for a forklift. It will have built-in coils, and a thermostat with optional heating and cooling. True to American temperament, the outside walls of the tank can be decorated in a choice of 24 colors. His first mold will allow him to produce one tank every four days, about eight a month.

“Ultimately, we hope to be able to gear up for anything, including custom sizes,” he said. Prices should start around $4,800.

Thomas, who hopes to try cement tanks at Quintessa, gave the last word. “They’re great. The material is readily available and fairly reasonable, and the tanks can even be used for storage. The French put their equipment in them during the winter.” wbm

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VV150 Pyramid

150 gallon capacity

The Pyramid comes standard with:
2” tri-clover racking port
2″ tri-clover drainage port
16″ x 21″ front access door
16″ round top access door
floor sloping at 3% to front access door

Legs for Oval and Cube to be added as an additional feature.

Our leg design is state of the art. Taking into consideration seismic conditions and each customers location. Our legs can be made any size or shape needed to acheive adequate working height from floor. Our standard legs can be added underneath exsisting tanks for more stabilty.

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VV935 Cube

935 gallon capacity

The Cube comes standard with:
2” tri-clover racking port
2″ tri-clover drainage port
16″ x 21″ front access door
16″ round top access door
thermal well & tasting port
floor sloping at 3% to front access door

Legs for Oval and Cube to be added as an additional feature.

Our leg design is state of the art. Taking into consideration seismic conditions and each customers location. Our legs can be made any size or shape needed to acheive adequate working height from floor. Our standard legs can be added underneath exsisting tanks for more stabilty.

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VV477 Cylinder

477 gallon capacity

The Cylinder comes standard with:
2” tri-clover racking port
2″ tri-clover drainage port
16″ x 21″ front access door
20″ round top access door
floor sloping at 3% to front access door

Legs for Oval and Cube to be added as an additional feature.

Our leg design is state of the art. Taking into consideration seismic conditions and each customers location. Our legs can be made any size or shape needed to acheive adequate working height from floor. Our standard legs can be added underneath exsisting tanks for more stabilty.

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VV970 Oval

970 gallon capacity

The Oval comes standard with:
2” tri-clover racking port
2″ tri-clover drainage port
16″ x 21″ front access door
16″ round top access door
thermal well & tasting port
floor sloping at 3% to front access door

Legs for Oval and Cube to be added as an additional feature.

Our leg design is state of the art. Taking into consideration seismic conditions and each customers location. Our legs can be made any size or shape needed to acheive adequate working height from floor. Our standard legs can be added underneath exsisting tanks for more stabilty.

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The Eco-Barrel

70 gallon capacity

The Eco-Barrel comes standard with:
1500 lbs dry
Lifting lugs on sides
24′ top manway
Sloping floor

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