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A Technical Guide for Wine Producers
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WHAT'S UP IN THE VINEYARD AND CELLAR
Computerising the winery barrel inventory
Keeping record of a winery’s barrels is important for two reasons especially. The asset value, from a financial point of view, is determined by the original purchase price and age of the barrels, and from the winemaker’s point of view, barrel details such as origin, oak type, size and the particulars of the contents undergoing maturation are crucially important. If the number of barrels in a cellar exceed a certain amount, it becomes a mammoth task to keep record of both the barrels and their contents.
Computer software for the management of a winery’s barrel inventory enables automation of one of the most labour intensive practices in the cellar. Small wineries can still get away with chalk, paper or a card system, but even in such instances there is merit in using an Excel spreadsheet or other computer databases.
The article discusses seven different products, most of which have been in use for quite some time. The products enable one to identify the barrel characteristics, details regarding current and previous content, and the exact placement of the barrels in the cellar. They are also able to write job instructions for cellar staff, compile the desired reports, and create theoretic blends. Most of these products form part of comprehensive cellar management software, although they may be purchased and supplemented separately. The purchase price of a cellar management software programme is about USD 7000.
Barrel details that are usually handled by the software include the barrel lot, oak type, cooperage, toasting level, age, purchase price, size and different fill particulars. The packages usually allocate serial numbers to the barrels and graphic representations of the cellars are used to indicate specific barrel placement. Empty barrels may be grouped, for example, to facilitate barrel filling. Most packages have no restrictions regarding the number of barrels, data users or barrel localities.
The barrel content particulars usually comprise blend details, the origin of the wine, chemical analyses and any additions or treatments. All the programmes enable winemakers to create trial blends and store the relevant data. Bar coding can be used in combination with manual scanners to input or extract data which may for example be downloaded to standard programmes such as Excel. Information can also be input via palmtops or by using the new technology of radio frequency identification (RFID). The latter entails the use of a pendant with an integrated current circuit and may contain data that is not possible with bar coding. Whereas bar coding can be read from a distance of approximately 6 m, RFID pendants are only legible from 10 cm. Despite some interest in this procedure, most cellars still use bar coding.
Additional special functions that may be incorporated are the graphic layout of the barrels in the winery, which may include an updated activity report indicating the composition of the wine, lot history, analyses, etcetera.
Internet access to the systems is increasingly important, so that access to the site may be obtained when one is not on the actual cellar premises. Moreover, via the internet wineries that are too small to purchase their own computerised system have the opportunity to link up to a central system where they can rent space, time and access.
Even the most complex systems do not always succeed in complying with the individual demands of wineries and sometimes have to be customised.
The following systems were discussed in the article:
Reference
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