INDEX

02
Introduction 02

03
Grape harvest reception area 03

03
Fermentation area 03

05
Storage area 05

06
Ageing, bottling and dispatch areas 06

07
Selecting the optimum refrigeration system for wine cellars 07
 Practical guide to selecting
refrigeration units for wineries and
wine cellars
Use this guide to achieve the maximum efficiency of
your medium and high-temperature refrigeration units.

Introduction
A wine cellar is the building or place in which wine is produced and stored. A wine
cellar has 5 clearly different areas, according to the type of process carried out in each
one:

1. Grape harvest reception area.

2. Fermentation area.

3. Storage area.

4. Ageing area.

5. Bottling and dispatch area.

Each of the areas described above will require specific temperature and/or humidity
conditions to be achieved by the refrigeration system, according to the type of wine.

02
Grape harvest reception area
Grapes are processed with mechanical systems in this area to obtain the grape juice.
It might be advisable and/or necessary to refrigerate the bunches of grapes, according
to the temperature at which they are received and, above all, to the time the bunches
of grapes will be stored before they are processed. Moreover, by refrigerating them,
the grape juice will be obtained at the optimum temperature. The cooling capacity
requirements can be calculated with our tool: https://intarcon.calcooling.com.

Fermentation area
Grape juice is stored in tanks in this area, in which it will turn into wine after a series
of alcoholic fermentation processes.

Heat is an important factor that helps speed up the ageing processes. It is of vital
importance to control the temperature during the wine fermentation process to prevent
the formation of excessive yeast (known as hyper-multiplication of biomass), since
this affects the alcohol content of wine, reducing the sugar to alcohol performance,
creating wines with a lower alcohol content and which can be harder to preserve.

The optimum fermentation temperature ranges from approximately 15 to 28 °C,

depending on the type of wine (white, rosé, vintage, reserve, etc.). High fermentation
temperatures may lead to the loss of aromas that give wine such special characteristics.
Excessively high speeds can even stop the fermentation process because they kill the
yeast. Moreover, if the temperature is too low, the colouring substances may not
blend well or the yeast may be deactivated, stopping the fermentation process.

The effects of varying the fermentation temperature are described below, according
to the type of wine:

03
White and rosé wines
• < 15 °C: Hard to start the fermentation process, risk of oxidation, need to use
yeast that can handle this temperature.
• 15 °C ÷ 18 °C: Optimum temperature for the formation of the fermentation aromas.
• 18 °C ÷ 20 °C: Desirable temperature to guarantee proper fermentation.
• 20 °C ÷ 25 °C: Very active fermentation, some aromas are lost. Temperature for
fermentation with no added yeast.
• 25 °C ÷ 30 °C: Very quick fermentation, loss of aromas, less refined.
• > 30 °C: Risk of stopping the fermentation process.

Red wines
• < 22 °C: Insufficient ageing, lack of colour, low tannin content.
• 24 °C ÷ 26 °C: Low degree of tannin extraction, producing fruity and aromatic
wines.
• 28 °C ÷ 32 °C: Good degree of extraction of colour and tannins. Suitable for vintage
wines or for grape varieties that find it hard to release their colouring substances.
• > 32 °C: Risk of stopping the fermentation process and loss of aromas.

04
Storage area

During this phase, the wine is stored in tanks, in which the clarification, stabilisation
and filtration processes will be carried out.

Clarification: after fermentation, the wine will be turbid, since it contains different
natural substances in suspension, such as dead yeast, bacteria, etc., which will fall
to the bottom of the container or tank if the wine is not moved. However, these
non-dissolved substances will fall at a slower or faster speed, according to their size.
Thicker substances will fall first, while others take much more time to fall, requiring
specific clarification processes to be carried out.

Stabilisation: tartaric acid, the main acid in grapes, forms salts, such as potassium
and sodium, which are also called tart rates. These tart rates are soluble in wine when
it is stored at high temperatures, but wines cooled down in the bottle for serving
would not be soluble, precipitate and create sediments inside the bottle and/or glass.
To prevent this undesired effect, wine is subject to a cold stabilisation process after
the end of the clarification process (other stabilisation processes exist). This involves
cooling down the wine that remains inside the tanks, at temperatures below 0 ºC,
depending on the alcohol content, so the salts precipitate inside the tank and can
then be removed. The process is complete when no tart rates appear, and the wine is
considered to be stable.

Filtration: fully eliminates the clarification remains, unstable tartaric acid and
suspended substances, passing the wine through a filtering bell with very fine pores.
These processes are usually carried out with sand, panel or tangential filters.

The ambient humidity does not need to be controlled during this process phase,
since the wine in the storage area is stored inside sealed tanks. It is very important to
control the tank temperature, which must be approx. 15 ºC, according to the type of
wine stored inside the tank.

05
Ageing area

Wine is a natural perishable product; exposure to heat, light, vibration or fluctuations

in temperature and humidity can cause any wine to spoil. When stored correctly,
wines not only maintain their quality, but those that have been aged can also improve
in aroma, taste and complexity as they mature.

Wine to be sold as vintage, reserve or grand reserve wine must be stored in an oak
barrel during a period of time that will depend on the type of wine.

The temperature in this area must be controlled during this process phase, which
must remain at approx. 15 ºC, depending on the type of wine stored. Oak is a porous
material, so this area will require the use of humidity control systems to guarantee
a relative humidity level ranging from 70 to 80 %. Humidity levels outside this range
will either evaporate the wine to the environment in the wine cellar, causing losses
of production, or cause water vapour to enter the inside of the barrel from the
environment. The suitable relative humidity creates the perfect ambient conditions
for the wine to be aged and remain stable.

Bottling and dispatch area

Wine is prepared for dispatch and shipping to the market in this area.

Bottled wine requires controlled temperature and humidity conditions to preserve the
product at the optimum conditions, prevent the cork from drying up and the formation
of mould on wine labels. These optimum levels can be established at approximately
12 ÷ 15 °C and a relative humidity of 70 ÷ 80 %. In addition, these optimum levels for
wine are very similar to the comfort conditions required for workers in these areas.

06
Selecting the optimum refrigeration system for wine cellars

Grape harvest reception, fermentation and storage areas

These areas only require temperature control systems, i.e., the ambient humidity
does not need to be controlled.

Even though many options could be assessed to select the most suitable refrigeration
system for these areas (after having established the specific project characteristics),
and taking into account the current regulatory framework, in which greenhouse gases
will end up being banned, we understand that the most interesting option for the
refrigeration of these areas is an indirect refrigeration system combined with natural
refrigerant gases, resulting in a future-proof solution that is fully eco-friendly and with
no date of expiry, obtaining a system with a very low and perfectly located refrigerant
charge, thus minimising the risk of leaks, and with a very low GWP.

The intarCUBE and intarWatt range of chillers for R-290 processes are the perfect
solution for handling different refrigeration processes inside wine cellars. These
refrigeration plants have been designed with the utmost care for commercial and
industrial refrigeration applications, using a reduced propane or R-290 charge as
the primary refrigerant, and water, glycol or brine as the secondary refrigerant to
transport cold.

Cold is distributed by pumping glycol water or brine at a low pressure, through

hydraulic pipes, free from gas leaks, with a low risk of stopping the service and with a
low cost of maintenance.

Thanks to the progressive modulation of the system’s cooling capacity, it is not

necessary to install a secondary circuit or inertia tanks. This simplifies the hydraulic
installation layout.

Refrigeration plants are designed to operate directly against a circuit of multiple

refrigeration services, equipped with two-way control vales (all/nothing or modulating).

intarCUBE R-290 chiller plant installation

07
Ageing, bottling and dispatch areas

These areas require temperature and humidity control systems, so the refrigeration
system installed must incorporate both functions.

Small wine cellars

If the areas to refrigerate are small, we must take into account that high-temperature
refrigeration units are available in the market for wine cellars, which have been
specially designed for the preservation of bottled wine and wine in barrels, which
guarantee the optimum wine preservation conditions.

Broadly speaking, the refrigeration units for wine cellars are available as semi-compact
(silent or centrifugal) and compact ceiling-mounted designs (axial or centrifugal).

It is worth mentioning that the unit selected must be capable of withstanding the
maximum exterior ambient temperatures to which it will be exposed. In warm areas,
i.e., the case of most of Spain, we recommend selecting tropicalised units, for an
ambient temperature of 45 or even 50 °C.

The unit must also be designed to withstand minimum exterior ambient temperatures.
If the unit needs to operate at low exterior ambient temperatures, it is recommended
to have a proportional condensation system built into the unit (or at least a digital
control system). In very cold areas, optional and more sophisticated condensation
control systems must be installed.

Large wine cellars

In our expert opinion, one of the best solutions would involve selecting indirect
combined refrigeration systems with natural refrigerant gases in the grape harvest
reception, fermentation and storage areas.

08
Do you have a wine cellar and
wish to select the most suitable
refrigeration system?
Our team has extensive and proven experience and can
provide you with the advice you need on your projects.
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