Sonoma Cast Stone, a resident of Sonoma County, CA for twenty-three years, is leading winemaking innovation with their concrete cellaring options. They started out with residential and commercial concrete installations. Fortuitously, the idea of creating locally made concrete wine tanks came about twelve years ago. President and tongue-in-cheek, self-described “top guy”, Steve Rosenblatt, remembers a conversation with his then-winemaker, who noted to him that he was sick of ordering inferior concrete tanks from France, so asked if Rosenblatt could make him one. Seven winemakers then got together with Rosenblatt to design their perfect concept of a concrete wine tank, resulting in the egg shape. The winemakers thought it had many advantages, and the idea and production immediately took off. One of only four producers of concrete wine tanks in the world, Rosenblatt says that they are now shipping overseas. They are currently working with wineries in the Southern Hemisphere to fulfill their orders, and starting sometime around February, will start working on tanks for their North American clients.
With over 1000 tanks now in use in North America, and over 300 wineries using their products globally, Sonoma Cast Stone is bringing two new items to the market and will be enthusiastically demonstrating these at WIN Expo ’21. Meeting a demand for larger volume storage, which also provides a smaller cost per gallon, the newest tank is called SuperEgg. It is now the largest egg-shaped tank available, holding 1004 gallons. The new tank comes with a ten-year guarantee and will take up to 30% less space than a standard tank. The unique egg shape provides natural movement of the wine, so fewer punch downs are needed in the fermentation process. These tanks will last up to forty years, thus providing a huge cost savings over the life of the tank.
“We are seeing an equal number of tanks ordered for use with red and white wines, with Cabernet [Sauvignon] and Pinot [Noir] being the top reds our clients are using our tanks for,” clarifies Rosenblatt.
The second product that Sonoma Cast Stone will be showcasing at the expo is their newly patented PIVOTAL, which is a manway for cleaning, with a radical new approach. “It literally takes only one finger to move it” notes Rosenblatt. Working on a spring action lid with a pivoting arm moving the cover, this revolutionary and safety-conscious design will have a life-size example at the WIN Expo.
Providing more options than stainless steel tanks, Sonoma Cast Stone’s tanks offer customization, as well as greater temperature stability. “Concrete provides better temperature control,” notes Rosenblatt, “and we have tubing built right into the concrete for cooling, so winemakers can keep the temperatures precise without spikes.” Each tank is tailored to the winery’s wishes, including the concrete color, logos, thermometers, and valve placement. As an added benefit, Rosenblatt touts that, “They are gorgeous, so the public is attracted to them!” Find them at the WIN Expo, Sonoma County Fairgrounds on Thursday, December, 2nd, 2021.
Sonoma Cast Stone
WIN Expo Booth: 406-408
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