Thanks to all that participated in the recent GOfermentor email survey.
The winner of $1000 cash prize
Gary Brookman, Brookman Cellars.
Prize was picked at random. Congratulations and thank you.
I would like to share the major conclusions from the survey with you :
- Not convinced it will work – This is understandable as this is new technology. However, numerous impartial studies have been done over the past 3 years comparing the GOfermentor to existing winemaking systems. Studies were performed by the VITEC wine research organization in Spain, AWRI in Australia, and most recently Univ of Turin in Piedmonte, Italy. In all instances the wine produced in the GOfermentor was equal or better than control. Savings in labor, capital, and water usage were substantial. Details are on our website. Wineries in the US and Spain have also corroborated the performance of the GOfermentor. The superb quality of wine produced in the GOfermentor is the major factor that the GOfermentor is now a commercial product.The automated punch not only saves time, but the unique punch mechanism squeezes the must extracting more color, aroma, and flavor. This cannot be replicated by hand. Sulfite additions can be eliminated, and the wine appears softer and rounder as if it was already aged a year.
- Gofermentor is too small – The current version of the GOfermentor is capable of 1 ton of grapes. While this is small it is the same as the large number of macrobins and flex tanks used in wineries. The GOfermentor technology is scalable and a 4 ton unit is expected to be available in 2019.
- Too expensive – We have strived to simplify the system and bring the cost down. A complete system costs around $ 2000 which is less than a typical must pump ! There are no installation costs and the equipment can simply be folded up and put away after the season. Disposable bags are just $ 100 each. This is easily offset by savings in cleaning labor and water usage. For 2018 we will offer lease and finance options.
- Negative public perception – There were comments about bad public perception of “plastics” etc. Perception is something that changes as the public understands how the technology results in a better product. Disposables have revolutionized the medical industry – blood and IV bags, disposable syringes are essential to quality medical care. In wine making, witness the acceptance of stainless steel tankage, and more recently fermentation in macrobins and rigid plastic tanks. The screwcap, once scoffed by serious wineries, is now perceived to be better than corks. The point is that the GOfermentor is not about fermenting in plastic, but that it is a technology for making better wine that happens to use a flexible medical-grade plastic bag in order to punch and seal the wine from air during fermentation. It is 21th Century pharmaceutical technology applied to modern winemaking. I believe that for many wineries the GOfermentor will become a high tech showpiece that allows the winemaker to perfect the art of winemaking in a reproducible and reliable system that requires less attention and reduces tedious activities.
Vijay Singh, PhD
Inventor GOfermentor
FarHills/ Bedminster NJ USA