VinWizard Winery Control and Power Saving Initiatives Lead to New Partnership

NAPA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Wine Technology America (WTA) announces new partnership with Healdsburg based Robert Dehoney and his company Engineered Mechanical Systems. This partnership will support accelerating growth of the world acclaimed VinWizard winery control and automation system.

WTA President Bob Richards announces the partnership in response to increasing industry focus on sustainability and wine production costs. Refrigeration power savings of 20% to 50% are being realised by top tier wineries using the system in all corners of the wine producing world. Concepts such as Load Scheduling and Smart Load Control have been developed on the back of a deep understanding of the winemaking process and input from global winemakers. Water monitoring initiatives are also in demand.

VinWizard integrates with any aspect of a winery operation with tank temperature control at the core. Through innovative tank control logic it can drive refrigeration plant in accordance with wine status, seasonal climate variations and user definable trigger points. Rob Dehoney has worked with companies such as PG&E in the past to obtain meaningful rebates on energy retrofits so this partnership is seen as an ideal fit.

The unique system architecture makes integration simple and cost effective. Data generated by components such as chillers, pumps, PLC hardware, electrical switchboards and production databases typically remain isolated and unused. VinWizard taps into these components allowing control and data display via one remotely accessible interface.

Growth is also likely to come from larger scale facilities that have already invested in PLC systems for tank control and winery automation. VinWizard software can replace or run alongside aging SCADA packages and free up tags. The investment in PLC hardware is safe and future proofed with serious benefits delivered at a fraction of the cost of a SCADA upgrade. In Australia this year VinWizard replaced such a system at one of the countries largest facilities.

The group has been instrumental in working with facilities like British Columbia’s first LEED certified winery and one of the worlds few carboNZero certified sites in the Southern Hemisphere. Working with innovative engineers, architects and winemakers all over the globe lets the group develop and spread ideas that may otherwise not filter through from local suppliers.

Clients range from eight tank installations in Spain to some of worlds most significant multi-site production facilities. Remote global locations and demanding expectations mean the system must surpass any other in terms of reliability and functionality. No winery, regardless of size, location or existing infrastructure, should dismiss VinWizard as a consideration.

About VinWizard

Founded in 1996 the Wine Technology group is dedicated solely to the wine industry. The company has over 125 installations covering North America, South America, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and Spain.