In order to pamper our estate specialty, Pinot Noir, our owner/winemaker Rick Moshin (along with family and friends) designed and built one of California’s first gravity-flow wine cellars. Delicate, thin-skinned Pinot Noir grapes are sensitive to being overworked, so Moshin Vineyards’ four-level cellar uses the momentum of gravity—rather than the more aggressive power of pumps and conveyors—to gently move them between each stage of wine production.
Gravity Flow Process
Here is how our unique gravity-flow cellar is arranged:
CRUSH PAD
Grapes are sorted and destemmed then fall into fermentation tanks below the Press Pad.
FERMENTATION/ CRUSH PAD
Fermentation begins here, then" free run" and pressed wine drains into settling tanks on the cellar level.
CELLAR
Settled wine is drained into barrels then stacked with a forklift for aging in the cellar.
BOTTLE LEVEL
Finished wine is pushed with nitrogen back into settling tanks, then it flows to the bottling lines to be bottled and labeled.
Gravity Flow Video
Gravity-flow cellar production allows us to naturally capture the fragrant aromatics and delicious flavors of our estate Pinot Noir, as well as our Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel and more.