Approach to winery operations

Cellar Rats (ITB)
1

Currently I manage a photo library and our primary objective these days is to digitize our content. This requires a manufacturing orientation for our operation and efficiencies are paramount.

In 2007 I had the pleasure of working as a cellar intern and hope to get back to the business in the future.

How these two things tie together: my current job (and a few previous) have me looking at operations and their efficiencies, and as a point of conversation and my general interest, I’m wondering if any of you look at your winery operations to improve efficiencies? More specifically, do you document processes and work out the most efficient methods? Have you ever employed outside consultants along these lines? If you have excess capacity are you doing any custom crush, have you figured out how to maximize utilization of your excess capacity?

Per my last thread (on getting through the recession) I’m not looking for proprietary information, but I’m personally curious and I figure some of you ITB are as well.

Erik

2

I’m wondering if any of you look at your winery operations to improve efficiencies?

Yes

More specifically, do you document processes and work out the most efficient methods?

Yes. The most efficient method does not necessarily become SOP, though. At what cost efficiency?

Have you ever employed outside consultants along these lines?

No. How could someone come to my winery in March and tell me how to do things in September? Unfortunately, it’s a ‘decision on the fly’ type of business.

If you have excess capacity are you doing any custom crush, have you figured out how to maximize utilization of your excess capacity?

Yes and no. I don’t necessarily want to maximize it. I want to maximize revenue, which must include outside work’s effect on my infrastructure, staff, and the subsequent quality of my own wine.

I had the pleasure of working as a cellar intern

wait, pleasure? i thought you worked for holdredge?

3

Yeah, that was probably too diplomatic.

4

As Nate already indicted, how do you improve on things you have no idea will happen? Each vintage is different, even within same block in the same vineyard. That dictates your production timing. In 2004, most of the fruit came in within a 3 week period, this means your tanks/bins were already full when more fruit arrived. Efficiency in the winery probably works for the producers of 2BC and the like, when you worl with small lots and small growers all the “studies” are pretty much a waste of time.

5

Maybe it was that “other” local agricultural product?

6

Tequila?

7

Since you know where I worked, I think there are opportunities for efficiencies at even small locations. Am I talking about scheduling? Of course not - I realize fruit comes in on a variable schedule. And I know that excess capacity utilization is a tough one given that. But I’m fairly confident that there are ways of working which in the aggregate mean the difference between crushing ten tons of fruit from prep to clean up in three hours instead of four (yeah I’m making up those numbers).

Similarly, you know what you have to have done at the beginning of crush to move best, and as crush is in process you (sometimes) know approximately when fruit will come in, and how you might use “slow” days best.

This may well be an unnecessary line of questioning but I was throwing it out as an opportunity for others to share and for my own edification as well.

8

After a lengthy study, we determined the best location for the refrigerator, so we did not have to walk as far to get a beer. Now THAT’s operational efficiency.

9

I think, Erik, that a lot of times there is so much going on during crush that the focus is on just making it all happen, making the idea of saving an hour, while the process is happening, unimportant. However, during the rest of the year, that thinking doesn’t apply. I often start thinking about harvest efficiency during the beginning of summer, and ask myself questions about what we can do to process fruit just as effectively, but more efficiently. I added an extra intern last year to help with that, and made some modifications to our crush equipment to make them more flexible and it seemed to work. I guess the bottom line is that experience is the only thing that shows you where you can make changes, at least during crush. For me, the rest of the year is no different than any other business, and you save money the same ways, more or less.

10

Here’s an example of my efficiency brilliance (yours for $500/hr):

But I’m fairly confident that there are ways of working which in the aggregate mean the difference between crushing ten tons of fruit from prep to clean up in three hours instead of four



After a lengthy study, we determined the best location for the refrigerator, so we did not have to walk as far to get a beer.

Move the fridge back to its original location. Less beer for the intern means less clean-up time.

Please make the check out to “cash”. I have an understanding with the IRS.

11

Eric,

I understand where you’re trying to go, but all I can say that no amount of “preparedness” will ever make things happen on schedule and efficiently. Equipment fails, especially with interns either having no experience or simply not caring, interns/employees overturning bins even after they did that same crap just an hour ago with another bin and you told them to watch out, lots come in that may need more sorting that expected, etc, etc, etc. I’ve seen a fork lift take off the latch door off the tank, at full speed, 5 tons of premium fruit dumped on the floor in a few seconds. A winemaker, at a facility that houses a number of wineries, coming in at midnight and for some reason never explained to me (I tried, trust me) moves barrels that do not belong to him and yes, dropping them (I found at least one broken, took them months to replace). Walking in to press a small lot one day only to find out that another winemaker “appropriated” the tank assigned to me the night before. Pomice thrown in dumpster instead of press (we were pouring at a Spectator event that day and I left very detailed instructions for the crew and this is no-brainer for anyone). Barrels pulled for racking prior to bottling, wrong vintage pulled. Etc, etc, etc.

Crush is the craziest thing around and as much as one can prepare, and John already pointed out the fridge packed with beer is number one priority, there WILL BE things beyond planning each and every year.

12

Well put, Greg. And that reminds me, shouldn’t we have a winemaking FAIL thread?!? [berserker.gif]

[bye2.gif]

13

Back to the original question, I keep running debrief files on events and wine club shipping seasons. Every shipping season we strive to increase speed, efficiency and accuracy on all levels from packing to customer service. For events like the upcoming Zinfandel Festival, I have a detailed ‘to do’ list that covers every detail from ordering food to organizing volunteers, and every year I add debrief notes from the previous events. Ditto for bottling days, and wine release launches. I’m a big fan of lists, master lists, debriefings, and Quick Notes Plus. [give_heart.gif]

But I think the other members are right that harvest just has to proceed at a more relaxed pace. The worst errors / disasters always seem to occur because someone was in a hurry, or tired and in a hurry. Harvest is a time to slow down, accept the long hours, and enjoy the excitement of the all-too-brief season. Space the delivery of fruit, check the backup battery in your message machine, haul the barbecue down to the crushpad, stock the fridge with steaks and beer, and keep two changes of clothes at the winery. [drinks.gif]