I would drink to this…
Posted on Friday, January 15th, 2010
Randy Ullom, K-J Winemaster in the Barrel Room
Jackson Family Wines, commonly known under Kendall-Jackson have finished their year long pilot program for creating a water recycling system and energy-use reduction process during the winery process. What is exciting about this forward thinking is in an area such as California, where usable water is a big issue, estimates put water savings at as much as one billion gallons annually if just 35% of California wineries adopt this technique.
“The process will be applied to water used for rinsing wine barrels and tanks along with other uses that together represent about 70% of a winery’s water use. In addition to water savings, the new process also provides multiple energy benefits. The system returns 90 percent of water enabling a winery to reuse its rinse water up to ten times. Since the recycled water also retains 75 percent of its heat properties, the new process will also reduce energy use and cost. This highly efficient technology can dramatically reduce water use and energy used in the acquisition, heating, transfer, cleaning and dispersal of water.”
This blend of innovative business thinking and experimental process is very encouraging and I couldn’t be happier. We need this kind of open thinking and risk taking from companies to make the necessary changes in consumption… Not only because it can save greatly on operation costs but to show that our business practices can make a difference.
