Wente Vineyards, America’s longest, continuously family-owned and operated winery, announced the installation of its first entirely new bottling line since its 1883 founding. Furthering Wente Vineyards’ annual recommitment to upping the ante on sustainability, this state-of-the-art new line was designed for energy efficiency, while accommodating the lighter, more carbon-neutral glass for all new vintage bottles in the winery’s portfolio.
This significant update was championed by the family’s fifth generation winegrowers, whose forward-thinking approach to sustainability continues to push the envelope in defining how ethical practices are measured – all on the eve of the winery’s 140th anniversary in 2023.
“We’re thrilled to unveil the first entirely new bottling line ever installed in our 140 years of existence,” said Karl Wente, Fifth-Generation Winegrower and Chief Operations Officer. Our commitment to responsible farming has always been one of the core pillars of Wente Vineyards. This new bottling line completes our sustainability pledge from grape to glass – increasing the efficiency of our output while helping us get closer to our ambitious production goals.”
The fifth generation of Wente family winegrowers advocated for this new technology due to its energy savings and reduced carbon output. It was designed to accommodate the new light weight glass bottles that the winery has transitioned to for every newly bottled vintage since spring of 2022. At 410 grams, most new bottles are now around 34% lighter than their 620-gram predecessors, significantly cutting down on carbon emissions.
Additional energy and water savings include the new system’s ability to recover heating calories and reuse the rinse water. The integration of bulk glass as a direct shipment from Wente Vineyards’ glass supplier removes the additional step of glass shipments to the re-packer –eliminating 16,400 miles of carbon output annually. This investment also reduces Wente Vineyards’ reliance on contract labor, saving commuter emissions and ensuring the company’s ability to support growth objectives while buffering against a national labor shortage.
The Wente family’s long-standing commitment to quality has always been the primary driver for this latest investment. The physical space that was designed to house the new bottling line was designed with quality in mind, reflected in the equipment line’s layout.
New features include: Epoxy floor coating, wash-down rated wall paneling; Automated CIP (clean-in-place): the line is designed to clean and sanitize the filling equipment and wine processing lines; The bottle filling and closure process occurs in a sterile enclosed environment (via hepa-filtered air filtration system); Tighter control of dissolved oxygen; Automated wine recovery system will reduce significant wine loss; In-line fill-height monitoring and label quality inspection; Finished Goods pallet bar-code scanning for greater material usage accuracy and inventory control; Package changeovers were engineered to be within 30-minutes – a huge downtime reduction that will result in a significant increase in annual production capacity.
Engineered and installed by ColloPack Solutions (a G3 Enterprises Company), the new bottling line was primarily engineered by Italian packaging powerhouses Bertolaso and Bortolinkemo, though it is also comprised of a number of other American and Italian equipment manufacturers (namely, Innotec for microfiltration and CIP, Robino & Galandrino for capsuling, Cavagnio & Gatti for pressure sensitive labeling, and Logics & Controls for fill level, closure, and label inspections).
Founded in 1883, Wente Family Estates maintains its leadership role in California wine growing under the ownership and management of the fourth and fifth generations of the Wente family, with the fifth generation of women leading the charge from grape to glass. Blending traditional and innovative winemaking practices, Wente Vineyards and the myriad labels also under Wente Family Estates umbrella draw from sustainably farmed estate vineyards to create an outstanding portfolio of wines.
About Wente Vineyards
Founded in 1883, Wente Vineyards has been celebrated for its industry-wide contributions to innovation as the oldest continuously operated, family-owned winery in the country, now owned and managed by the fourth and fifth generations of the Wente family, with women leading the charge from grape to glass. The winery draws from certified sustainable estate vineyards in the Livermore Valley, San Francisco Bay, and Arroyo Seco, Monterey appellations to create an outstanding array of fine wines distributed in all 50 states and over 70 countries worldwide.
In 2010, it joined the top 10% of California wineries that meet all three tiers within the Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing codes and designation for both their estate vineyards and winery. In April 2022, the winery won the Wine Institute’s California Green Medal Leader Award. This award is given to one winery each year and recognizing leadership in sustainable practices that span both its vineyards and winery as well as the estate’s socially responsible initiatives that benefit its employees and greater community.
Located just east of San Francisco in the historic Livermore Valley, Wente Vineyards – Wente Family Estates’ flagship estate label – is recognized as one of California’s premier wine country destinations, featuring wine tasting, food and wine experiences, outdoor wine & music events, unparalleled wedding venues and The Course at Wente Vineyards, an 18-hole championship golf course designed by Greg Norman. For more information, visit wentevineyards.com.
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