STULZ technology helps sustainable wine production

Most people would not associate wine with sustainability, but a collaboration between STULZ New Zealand and Mt Difficulty Winery could change this.

A leading system supplier of air-conditioning technology, STULZ is providing the winery with an ultrasonic humidifier in order to further its sustainable practices. Located in Bannockburn, in Central Otago, Mt Difficulty Winery promotes sustainability through its insulated buildings. The winery’s already low energy input will be aided by the humidifier, which will be located in the winery’s barrel hall below ground.

STULZ New Zealand General Manager Mark Langford suggested that the winery’s motivation to achieve a sustainable future aligned with STULZ’s top priorities, making it an easy task to develop the correct cooling technology.

“The ultrasonic humidifier has proven effective in maintaining Mt Difficulty’s standards as a low energy input winery, and since its installation in 2012, energy usage has reduced by a landslide,” said Langford.

Although STULZ is known for its data centre cooling expertise, it has expanded its technology to suit a variety of different industries, including printing, health, aviation and now the food and beverage industry.

Matt Dicey, winemaker at Mt Difficulty, explained: “Our policy has always been to maintain energy efficiency and sustainability throughout the winery. By seeking a long-term technology solution that is innovative and ahead of the current practice, we are able to achieve a ‘gold standard’ for humidification. STULZ’s technologically advanced systems use only 1% of energy required compared to an equivalent steam system. It was a no-brainer for us.”