CAS DataLoggers, a distributor of T&D Corporation in the United States, installed a wireless temperature and humidity monitoring system at a small winery in Ohio to help identify the optimal time for harvesting grapes to produce ice wine.
This winery has approximately 1 acre of grapevines and needs to wait for winter temperatures to drop and freeze the grapes on the vine before harvesting can begin.
Challenges in Harvesting Grapes for Ice Wine Production
Producing ice wine differs from regular wine because grapes are left on the vine until winter. When the water inside the grapes freezes, the water content decreases, while the sugar and flavors become more concentrated, resulting in a distinctively sweet and highly sought-after wine.
However, the harvesting process is high-risk. Growers must wait for temperatures to drop to freezing before picking the grapes. If harvesting starts too late, the usable grape yield can decrease due to hail, spoilage, diseases, mold, and animals feeding on the produce.
Accurately knowing the temperature and humidity in each area of the vineyard is therefore crucial for both the quality and quantity of ice wine.
Problems with Traditional Temperature Measurement
In previous winters, the winery used glass thermometers and electric thermometers to measure temperature. Operators had to manually check each device and record the data.
This method was time-consuming and labor-intensive, and there was a risk of errors in reading and recording data, especially in a production process sensitive to temperature and humidity changes.
The winery therefore needed a wireless monitoring system that could quickly display vineyard conditions, help identify the optimal harvest time, and be affordable for a small business.
Temperature and Humidity Monitoring System from T&D
The winery installed eight T&D RTR-53 wireless temperature and humidity data loggers throughout the vineyard, attaching the devices to posts at appropriate locations to cover the entire growing area.
Each data logger was installed inside a waterproof case to protect the device from winter weather conditions.
The system can measure temperatures using an external sensor in the range of 0°C to 55°C and relative humidity in the range of 10% to 95% RH, with the current values clearly displayed on the device's LCD screen.
Additionally, the winery chose the T&D RTR-57U portable data collector to wirelessly connect to the data loggers and display data from all points on a single device.
Data can be stored for up to 256,000 readings before being downloaded to a computer via a USB cable, eliminating the need to manually walk around to read and record data from each device.
The graphic LCD screen with backlight also allows users to easily read data before sunrise, which is a crucial time for checking temperatures and preparing to begin grape harvesting.
Monitoring Weather and Preventing Disease in the Vineyard
The data loggers act like miniature weather stations, allowing growers to closely monitor the microclimate at each point in the vineyard.
Analyzing temperature data in conjunction with humidity helps growers understand whether temperature drops or day-night temperature changes are caused by rain, wind, or other weather conditions.
This information helps to more accurately determine the optimal harvest time and plan for preventing plant diseases and molds that thrive in specific temperature and humidity conditions.
Growers can use the recorded data to decide when to spray protective agents or when to remove infected grapevines from an area to help reduce spread and preserve the remaining crop.
The data collector can also set upper and lower limits for temperature and humidity to help monitor anomalies, such as rapid temperature drops, and display data in graphical format for analyzing weather trends.
Software for Data Management and Analysis
T&D data loggers come with free Windows-compatible software. Users can control settings, recording, and data download via computer.
The software supports data printing, creating text files, tables, and graphs, as well as displaying current values and setting alerts when temperature or humidity falls outside the defined range.
All data is stored electronically, making it easy to review historical data, compare environmental conditions across seasons, and use the information to improve ice wine production processes in subsequent years.
Results for the Winery
After installing the wireless temperature and humidity monitoring system, the winery can continuously and accurately monitor environmental conditions in the vineyard, allowing growers to be ready to harvest immediately when temperatures drop to freezing for short periods.
The system also reduced the time spent manually checking thermometers and recording data, while modernizing and systematizing the cultivation process.
The data obtained helped growers understand the relationship between temperature, humidity, weather, plant diseases, and grape quality, resulting in consistent high-quality ice wine production and continuous improvement of the production process each year.
The use of T&D's wireless data logging technology therefore enables small wineries to produce high-quality products demanded by the market, while reducing labor and controlling costs at an appropriate level.
Related Products
The RTR-5 Series and RTR-500 Series products mentioned in this case study have been discontinued and are replaced by the RTR500B Series.
Related products include the RTR-500DC portable data collector and the RTR-503 wireless temperature and humidity data logger.
See more product details: https://thai.fakiki.com/pages/t-d-data-logger-temperature-monitoring
Reference: https://tandd.com/usage/winery.html
