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A Technical Guide for Wine Producers
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RECENT ARTICLES | WYNBOER HOME
TIPS FOR CELLAR WORKERS
Sanitation in a winery
Cellar hygiene consists of the neatness of the cellar workers and the general hygiene in the winery. Although it is not the only criterion, the visual appearance of the workers' clothing and the cellar equipment is a very good indication of the degree of hygiene present. This is clearly illustrated in Photos 1 and 2.
Sanitation, or cleaning, is the process used to obtain and maintain a high level of hygiene. Why is hygiene so important? The main reasons are to ensure good product quality and satisfy the requirements of the market.
Wine being a natural product, it is exposed to different micro-organisms emanating from the vineyard or occurring in the winery, such as moulds, yeasts and bacteria. These micro-organisms may be desirable or undesirable. The desirable organisms such as dry yeast may be purchased by the cellar and added to the must of wine to produce a good wine, but the growth of undesirable organisms must be limited as far as possible. One way of doing this is by maintaining a high standard of cellar hygiene. Secondly consumers who purchase wine require it to be made in the same orderly way as food, which is why cellars are requested by the buyers of the products to apply systems such as HACCP and BRC in their cellars. Cellar hygiene is one of the aspects measured by such systems.
The personal hygiene of cellar workers is the first aspect to be addressed. Wineries have to provide their workers with the necessary overalls and shoes or safety equipment such as safety boots, goggles, gloves and hats if the work requires it. The workers have to start each day clean and neat and pay the necessary attention to their personal hygiene and neatness. Eating and drinking is not allowed when working and hands should be washed after visiting the toilet.
General cellar hygiene is obtained and maintained by washing regularly. It is said that 85% of winemaking consists of washing processes. Efficient washing of equipment can only be obtained if three different solutions are used, namely an alkaline solution containing caustic soda, an acid solution such as citric acid and fresh water. To use these effectively, the necessary personal equipment is required, including safety goggles, rubber gloves, rubber shoes and waterproof clothing and hats and equipment such as pumps, pipes, torches and sponge balls.
Pipes, tanks and barrels are some of the most important equipment that need to be cleaned regularly and will be discussed in future articles.
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