DAY OF BOTTLING

In most cases, bottling truck will arrive the weekday prior to a scheduled bottling (we will survey the sight prior to bottling, however we require enough room to maneuver our Tractor-Trailer and a flat level area approximately 80 feet long and 12 feet wide to set up for bottling). 

It is imperative that one Key Winery Contact Representative be available at that time to determine appropriate truck placement and ensure access to power and water.

We will review the specifics of the bottling at that time.

We will work with the winery’s schedule as much as possible but the typical bottling day begins at 8:00am and ends at 4:30pm – this includes 7.5 hours of bottling after a half hour lunch break and two fifteen-minute breaks.

Our goal is to work with you and make your bottling experience as organized and efficient as possible.

Our staff will be on-site approximately two hours prior to the start of bottling.

The Winery is to designate 1 key person (Key Winery Contact Representative) responsible for any decisions regarding bottling, quality control and bottling approvals. This key person should be on-site and available a minimum of one hour prior to the scheduled start time to allow access to the wine and give final approval to fill heights and label placement and help us determine the most appropriate bottling order. All set-up, adjustments and sign-off are to be completed prior to start. This helps us provide the greatest level of customer service and highest quality output.

The winery’s crew should be at their workstation and ready to begin promptly at the scheduled start time. It is essential that the crew is on time and ready to work during scheduled hours.  

Wines must be bottle ready upon VWS arrival – this includes polish or sterile filtrations.  In-line filtration to the truck is not allowed.

Wine temperature should be 15-18°C to ensure proper fill height and to prevent condensation which will impact the label application.

VWS uses 2 x 30” code 7 filter housings.  Filters can either be supplied by the winery or the winery may purchase the filters from VWS for a fee (see contract). Special order filters require 4 weeks for delivery.

The Key Winery Contact Representative is responsible for verifying proper sanitization of filter housings and filling equipment and integrity testing filter membranes.

VWS requires a dedicated circuit of either a 60 amp 3 phase 208 volt service OR a 100 amp single phase 240 volt service.

One of the following Winery supplied receptacles is required be installed and properly wired prior to bottling.

• 208 Volt 60 Amp 3 Phase (560R9W)
• 240 Volt 100 Amp 2P (4100R12W)

The power source must be within 100 feet of bottling truck.  If no plug is available please contact us for a solution.  The power cord must be routed in an area where it will not suffer mechanical damage or be driven over.

VWS uses a variable speed positive displacement rotary lobe pump with 1 ½”  Tri-Clover fittings.

The Winery must provide any adapters necessary to connect to VWS’s pump and their feed hose must reach to the mid-point of the trailer. The Winery is responsible for sanitizing the pump and hoses 30 minutes prior to start of bottling.

VWS requires clean potable water supplied with a minimum of 30 psi and 30 l/m.  We have two filters housing on board and filters for purchase.  Please see contract for details.

The Key Winery Contact Representative is responsible for wine hose sanitation as well as bringing wine and supplies to the truck.

In our experience and to ensure all stations are covered, it is recommended that the Winery provide 7 personnel able to perform physically demanding work.

1 Person to dump glass onto the unscrambler (2 if there is a significant taper in the bottle)
2 People to pack finished product into cases who are also responsible for quality control
1 Person to case label and supervise the case taping machine
2 People to stack finished product on pallets
1 Forklift and experienced driver

The line features a STS V700 pressure sensitive labeler. This labeler can apply up to 2 labels on a bottle. We can accommodate front and back labels printed on the same roll, or front and back labels printed on separate rolls.  VWS preference is the front and back on the same roll (labels must be front/back alternating on the same web with standard spacing between labels).

To ensure maximum efficiency the following specifications are required:  

Labels should be wound to industry standard #4. 

Max roll diameter is 13.5 inches (340mm)

Inside diameter core is 3 inches (70-80mm)

Label height is max 5 7/8 inches (150mm)

Label width for tapered glass is max 4 inches (100mm)

Our equipment is intentionally versatile, and we have a number of change parts to accommodate bottle sizes (375ml, 500ml, 750ml and 1.5L) with a
height between 10 ¼” to 14 1/8” (230-360mm) and a diameter between 2 3/8” to 4 ¼” (59 to 110mm).

Bottles with long necks, however, can be problematic and are sometimes incompatible with our equipment. We are happy to review all bottle samples prior to placement of glass order and recommend it for all bottles with long necks and/or excessive tapers.

As a general rule we should be able to bottle 1500 + cases per day in 7.5 bottling hours. This number is only an approximate as it will all depend on the number of line and bottle changes as well as if things are running smoothly.

VWS’s technicians are constantly monitoring equipment functions, vacuum pressure in deox turret, nitrogen pressure in filling bowl, vacuum on corking turret, torque testing screw caps and packaging materials to insure overall package quality. However, the Key Winery Contact Representative is ultimately responsible for insuring the overall Quality Control of the wines and packaging. The Key Winery Contact Representative is responsible for providing for and insuring the monitoring of O2, SO2, fill height, cork insertion, vaccum levels, proper label placement and overall package quality and accuracy on a timely and regular basis. In the event of a problem the Key Winery Contact Representative is responsible for communicating immediately the situation to VWS’s staff.

We believe that Quality Control is everyone’s job and ask that the Key Winery Contact Representative please reinforce this belief by communicating the standards of quality to the winery’s bottling staff prior to start up.

VWS will withhold 2 bottles of each wine and retain them for quality assurance purposes.