A winery is a facility where wine is produced—from receiving fresh grapes (or other fruits), processing them, fermenting, aging, clarifying, and finally bottling the wine.
It’s more than just a building—it’s the heart of winemaking operations, equipped with the machinery, tanks, and tools to transform grapes into wine.
How to Make Wine? And Which Equipment Will Be Used?
Step 1: Grape Reception & Sorting, fresh grapes are delivered from the vineyard, remove leaves, debris, and unripe or damaged grapes.
In this process grape receiving hopper will be used to collect harvested grapes.
Vibrating Sorting Table to separate leaves and stems.
Manual Sorting Table – for hand selection (premium wines).
Conveyor Belts to move grapes gently to the crusher.
Step 2: Crushing & Destemming
Grapes are gently crushed to release juice (must). Stems are removed to avoid bitterness (especially for red wines).
Here crusher-destemmer is used, which is a combined unit to destem and crush.
For white wines: juice is separated immediately.
For red wines: skins and seeds remain for fermentation.
Step 3: Fermentation
Natural or cultured yeast converts sugars into alcohol and CO₂. Temperature is controlled (15–28°C depending on wine style).
Red wines: skins remain for color & tannin extraction.
White wines: ferment juice only, cooler temps (~15°C).
Wine Fermentation Tanks will be used. Wine fermenters are not the same as beer fermenters. They are designed specifically for the winemaking process, with features to handle: Grape skins & solids (for reds), Precise temperature control, Gentle handling of juice/must, Hygienic and easy cleaning.
Key Design Features of Wine Fermentation Tanks
| Feature | Why It Matters |
| Material | SUS304/SUS316 stainless steel for hygiene & no flavor taint |
| Open or Closed Top | Open tops for red wines (cap management), closed for whites/sparkling |
| Cooling Jacket | Glycol or water jacket for precise fermentation control |
| Manways | Side & bottom manways for pomace removal & cleaning |
| Racking Arm | Draw off clear wine above sediment (lees) |
| Shape | Tall & narrow (whites) or wide & squat (reds) |
| Inert Gas Port | For CO₂ or N₂ purging to prevent oxidation |
| Heating/Cooling Options | Some tanks also heat for cold soaking or malo-lactic fermentation |
| CIP Spray Balls | Automated cleaning (sanitation critical in wineries) |
| Floating/Lid Options | Floating lids for partial fills (avoid oxidation) |
| Agitator/Pump-Over System | For cap management in red wine fermentation |
Tank Types Based on Wine Style
| Type of Fermenter | Best For | Typical Features |
| Open-Top Tanks | Red wines | Cap management (punch-down/pump-over) |
| Closed Cylindrical | White & rosé wines | Protects from oxygen, cool fermentation |
| Pressure-Rated (Autoclave) | Sparkling wines | Handles secondary fermentation (3–6 bar) |
| Egg-Shaped Concrete | Natural/boutique wines | Gentle convection, micro-oxygenation |
How to Choose the Right Wine Fermenter?
1.Match to Wine Style
| Wine Type | Recommended Tank Features |
| Red Wines | Open-top, side manway, pump-over system, wide body |
| White Wines | Closed-top, tall & narrow, strong temp control |
| Sparkling | Pressure-rated (3–6 bar), conical bottom |
| Natural Wines | Concrete or oak fermenters, minimal intervention |
2.Decide Tank Capacity
Small wineries: 1,000 L–5,000 L tanks (boutique batches)
Medium: 10,000 L–20,000 L tanks
Large: 30,000 L–50,000 L tanks (industrial)
Rule of thumb: Match tank size to vineyard block yields. For flexibility, mix small and large tanks.
3.Insulation & Temperature Control
Essential for precise fermentation. Cooling jackets let you:
Cold-soak reds pre-fermentation
Control active fermentation heat
Cold-stabilize whites post-fermentation
4.Cleaning & Access
Large side manways (remove pomace easily)
CIP (Clean-In-Place) spray balls for hygiene
Tiantai’s Winery Tank Has The Following Advantages:
SUS304/316 construction (food-grade)
Modular tank systems (easy to expand capacity)
Custom shapes (square, oval, or egg)
Fully automated temp & pump-over controls (PLC/SCADA)
Premium welding finish (mirror inside, brushed outside)
Step 4: Pressing (Post-Fermentation for Reds)
After fermentation, separate wine from skins and seeds. For white wines, pressing occurs before fermentation.
Pneumatic Press (Bladder Press) will be used for gentle, even pressing.
Basket Press for traditional style, boutique wineries.
Step 5: Clarification & Stabilization
Remove solids, yeast, and proteins from wine. Cold stabilization prevents tartrate crystals in the bottle.
Cold-Settling Tanks are used to cool to ~0°C for stabilization.
Crossflow Filter / Plate & Frame Filter is used for clarifies wine.
Step 6: Aging (Optional)
Wine matures to develop flavor and complexity. Duration: months to years depending on style.
Oak Barrels / Foudres is used for micro-oxygenation & flavor.
Stainless Steel Maturation Tanks are for fresher styles.
Concrete Eggs are for boutique/natural wine trend.
Step 7: Filtration, Bottling & Packaging
Wine is filtered again, bottled, corked, and labeled.
Sterile Filtration System, Bottling Line, Filler (vacuum or gravity), Corker / Capper, Capsule Applicator (foil), Labeler will be used at this process.
Tiantai provides comprehensive solutions for wineries of all sizes, from boutique operations to large-scale commercial facilities. We specialize in designing and manufacturing high-quality stainless steel wine fermentation tanks, storage tanks, and complete winery processing equipment. Our systems cover every stage of winemaking, including grape reception, crushing and destemming, fermentation, pressing, filtration, aging, bottling, and packaging.
With advanced features such as glycol cooling jackets, CIP cleaning systems, and full automation options (PLC/SCADA), Tiantai ensures precision control and efficiency throughout the production process. We also offer custom designs to suit specific wine styles—red, white, rosé, or sparkling—and provide pressure-rated tanks for secondary fermentation.
In addition to equipment, Tiantai delivers turnkey services including plant layout design, installation guidance, staff training, and after-sales technical support. Our goal is to help clients build modern, hygienic, and highly efficient wineries to produce premium wines for both local and international markets.
Edited By Daisy
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