Wine storage is set to move back inground, reducing the visual and environmental impact of the above ground stainless steel ‘tank farms’ now common in wine areas. A new storage system, developed by a group of professional engineers in the Yarra Valley, involves the use of materials technology to store wine in multiple ‘bladders’ suspended in an inground, water filled concrete reservoir.
Two wineries in Victoria are already making commercial use of the environmentally friendly system.
FlexTank Pty Ltd chief engineer, Tony Flecknoe-Brown, said the new storage system has many advantages over conventional stainless steel. Apart from costing only 25 percent of the equivalent capacity in conventional stainless steel, the FlexTank system eliminates the visual impact of high rise stainless steel tanks, consumes virtually no electrical power and eliminates risks associated with stored gas and spills. The earth sheltering, large liquid mass and heavily insulated covers effectively keep wine at the stable temperatures ideal for storage, without the need for additional cooling.
Operation is simple and safe. With full access at ground level, operators are not required to work on elevated platforms. The bladders are made from an advanced layered polymer co-extrusion which is both inert to wine and effectively impervious to oxygen. Suspended in water, they expand only to accommodate the volume of wine placed in them, eliminating ‘head space’.
“Wineries, growers and Councils in wine areas need to be made aware of this new alternative when making development or planning applications for wine stores, or when expanding existing winery operations,” Tony Flecknoe-Brown said.
For further information contact Tony Flecknoe-Brown, on (03) 9730 1118 or 0414 775 862, or visit www.flextank.com.au
