A chiller with FVR-L compressors for italian wine production
Frascold and Rica 2000 for wine of quality
The mastery of a famous Italian wine-maker meets the expertise of Frascold and Rica 2000, for a reliable refrigeration system which protects the aromas in each bottle.
“There are many secrets to making a wine with captivating aromas: the climate, the land, the ripening of the grapes and, yes, the wine-making process. A procedure that has its own special charm and demands great precision at every phase, from harvesting to bottling, ending with the proper storage of the final product. Every wine-maker knows all too well that the elegance of the fragrances and the freshness of the taste depend on controlling the wine’s temperature and, that is why, it is essential to use appropriate, reliable refrigeration systems.” Said Maurizio Masoero, Technical Director at Rica 2000, a company which, since 1965, has specialized in designing and manufacturing industrial refrigeration systems, as well as being a Frascold partner in building a chiller designed to preserve the organoleptic qualities of the production of a famous Italian wine-making company.
In the wine-making process, fermentation represents just one of the most delicate steps. At first, the temperature of the must tends to increase, as the yeasts at work produce considerable quantities of energy. Part of this energy is released in the form of heat, sometimes exceeding 40°C, and in order to avoid the risk of arresting the fermentation process, the ideal conditions for each type of wine need to be maintained: 24-26°C for reds and 14-16°C ideally for whites and rosés. With this goal in mind, the technical teams at Rica 2000 and Frascold developed a refrigeration system that can safeguard the delicate nature of the raw material, whilst also ensuring the plant’s operational continuity. Specifically, the refrigerator cools a water solution composed of 40% glycol to -10°C which is then stored in two, 7000-liter, inertial tanks, dedicated to the various exchangers employed in the wine-making process. In addition, the machine features three shell-and-tube exchangers, for instant, direct chilling of the wine, and an evaporative condenser, decisive in the decision to adopt a Frascold FVR-L screw compressor, the mechanical partialization of which guarantees significant energy savings. Additional advantages include ease of installation, compact dimensions and quiet operation.
“In addition to fermentation, the chiller is used in the storage phase, in order to preserve the flavor and the aroma of the wine, until it is poured into the glasses of wine lovers.” added Nika Bagdasarian, Frascold Sales Area Manager – North West Italy. “This solution is destined for a room in which 7 other Frascold screw compressors have already been installed, testifying to their quality. The first ones, installed over 20 years ago, have been operating reliably for over 60,000 hours, concentrated above all in the three months of the harvest, during which they run 24/7.” and concluded, “A relationship of trust, consolidated over the years, which rests, on the one hand, on Rica 2000’s ability to handle these systems, with periodic maintenance, throughout their entire lifecycle and, on the other hand, on monitoring, in real time, the operational status of the system in order to intervene promptly in the event of an alarm.”
