Vineyard care and cleaning

Winemakers harvest an entire year's worth of work in the autumn, which is why care must be taken during the growing season and the correct harvesting of specialty crops are especially important. Due to the sensitive nature of the crop and the importance of varietal homogeneity, in viticulture, cleaning machinery throughout the season and cleaning wine making equipment during grape harvest and processing is an essential part of the harvesting process.

A woman cleans her tractor/harvesting machine with the Kärcher high-pressure cleaner

Vineyard care: caring for specialty crops

In contrast to classic arable and area crops, viticulture deals with special crops. Since wine grapes are particularly sensitive, taking care of the vines and creating good growing conditions are essential for a good harvest.

How to clean wine making equipment

Weed control is essential during the growing season. Sprayers distribute the biological or chemical pesticides to reach the entire area. Due to this, residue can accumulate all over the equipment as well as the narrow-track tractor that may be used, this increases the need for cleaning and vineyard care. The focus here is on maintaining the value of the machines in the presence of partially corrosive substances and on preventing selectively high concentrations that could potentially enter the sewage system or the surrounding area. It is also important to prevent the spread of pests from one vineyard to the next.

If the sprayer and tractor are cleaned directly at the vineyard, a cold water high-pressure cleaner is widely used. Since it is important to be independent of the infrastructure, battery-powered high-pressure cleaners or fuel-powered models are suitable for this purpose. The battery-powered device is the more sustainable option as it avoids emissions. In addition, the user needs a water supply on site. To achieve a good result and remove all residues of the pesticide, the machines should be thoroughly washed from top to bottom, in an area that can handle the traces of highly diluted pesticides left in the wastewater.

A man in a hat cleans his tractor/harvester with a Kärcher high-pressure cleaner

Tip – wear personal protective equipment:

It’s important for operators to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) when handling pesticides and cleaning equipment that has come into contact with them. A rubber apron, goggles, and gauntlet gloves is the minimum requirement.

Vineyard care: Cleaning farm machinery

If the cleaning of machinery is done on the farm, there are specific local specifications for the cleaning area that must be followed. When working in the dedicated cleaning area, the user benefits from more flexibility in terms of cleaning technology: a mobile cold water high-pressure cleaner can be used as well as a stationary high-pressure cleaner with added hot water supply. Hot water achieves faster results and shortens drying time.

A man cleans a green box with a Kärcher high-pressure cleaner

Tip – use cleaning agents correctly:

In addition, it is possible to apply a biodegradable cleaning agent with a cup foam lance. The cleaning foam adheres better, extends the exposure time and thus increases the cleaning performance, which again reduces the time spent on cleaning.

Cleaning in viticulture during harvest: grape homogeneity

The harvest plan determines the sequence in which grape varieties and sites are harvested. Weather plays a role, as do different ripening times. There is an increased risk of damage, disease or pests to the crop the longer the grapes are left on the vine.

To ensure the required homogeneity and not transfer any potentially existing contaminants, all harvesting equipment must be carefully rinsed and cleaned with a high-pressure cleaner after each area has been completed. This is done either at the vineyard on site or at the winery, depending on local conditions. This includes harvesters, transport vehicles, vats or tumblers used in manual harvesting, and destemmers or shakers.

A man pours grapes from a red container into a larger green container

Clean harvesting equipment and containers

Tip 1 – use cleaning agents only during final cleaning:

No detergent is used when cleaning the equipment used for harvesting grapes. This prevents contamination of the crop. Once the harvesting is completed detergents can be used for the final cleaning.

Tip 2 – the correct pressure and working distance:

There are no sensitive areas when cleaning machines, vessels and wine making equipment in a dedicated cleaning area, so the right amount of pressure and distance can be used.

Cleaning when processing: cleanliness on the way to the end product

After destemming, grapes for white wine go directly into the press; grapes for red wine are left in the mash to allow the colourant to migrate from the skins into the juice. The vats or tanks used for this purpose must be cleaned with a high-pressure cleaner after each emptying to completely remove the dye and so it doesn’t affect the subsequent grape harvests.

The press is cleaned immediately after pressing with a high-pressure cleaner without detergent, so that no dirt can settle. Depending on the size and design, parts may need to be disassembled, unfolded or pulled out during this process.

A man cleans a wine grape press with a Kärcher high-pressure cleaner

Tip – prevent slipping:

Remove the sticky grape juice from the floor with a high-pressure cleaner or compact scrubber dryer to prevent slippage and the formation of germs. This should be done daily.

Storage in viticulture: tanks and wine cellars

The wine grape press is usually located above the storage tanks, so that the grape juice enters the tanks with the help of gravity after pressing. Following the same principle, the hoses or pipelines used can simply be rinsed with water to remove any residue.

Depending on the winery, a frequent change of tanks takes place during the aging process according to different time patterns. When fermentation begins, yeast is added, the skin of the grapes provides tannins and the storage in wooden barrels gives the wine its own flavour. The wine develops in the tanks or barrels. After fermentation, refinement and the removal of yeast and turbidity, it goes into stack tanks for intermediate storage before it goes to the bottling line.

The tank and barrel interior cleaning in the wine cellar is done after each emptying with automatic systems or with a high-pressure cleaner. Outside, the tanks can be cleaned with telescopic facade cleaning brushes, which are available as accessories for the high-pressure cleaner. To clean the floors, high-pressure cleaners with area cleaners as accessories and scrubber-driers are especially suitable.

A man cleans piping on a wine bottling machine with a Kärcher high-pressure cleaner

Worm’s-eye view: A man cleans a stainless steel tank

Cleaning a stainless steel tank and wine barrel

With its many different production steps, viticulture is one of the most complex challenges in agriculture. And each individual step requires different measures in terms of vineyard hygiene. Only meticulous cleanliness and residue-free cleaning prevent contamination of the wines and thus a reduction in the quality of the product. Special attention should be paid to the barrels and tanks in which the wine is stored and aged.

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A man cleans the floor in the wine cellar with a Kärcher surface cleaner

A man cleans the floor in the wine cellar with a Kärcher scrubber dryer

On the way to enjoyment: bottling line, logistics & co.

On the way to enjoyment, wine is bottled using bottling lines. The plants have automatic systems that use cleaning agents and rinsing processes to remove residues from the lines. The outside must be cleaned manually, for example, if bottles are broken. In this case, high-pressure cleaners can be used to clean the machine. However, in the case of sensitive sensors or electronics, work with reduced pressure, less water, and a greater distance. Soiling on the floor can be removed quickly and efficiently with a scrubber dryer.

Around logistics, i.e. storage and transport, sweepers and wet and dry vacuums help keep shelves and floors clean. On the sales floor, cleanliness plays a representative role in addition to hygienic aspects, which is why suitable cleaning measures must be taken.