Robert Mondavi Winery, Brewery and Food Processing Complex

The University of California Davis (UCD) inaugurated a new complex with research and teaching facilities in winery, brewery and food-processing in January 2011. It is located on the campus of the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science at the university. The three technologically advanced facilities will focus on scientific research into food, beverages and health related problems.

The single storey complex comprises of two attached wings. It includes the 11,500ft² August A. Busch III Brewing and Food Science Laboratory housing the California Processing Tomato Industry Pilot Plant, brewery and a milk-processing laboratory in the south wing.

Site

The complex is located on Old Davis Road and complements the three Robert Mondavi Institute buildings, which were opened in 2008. It is built adjacent to a 12-acre teaching-and-research vineyard and educational gardens within the campus.

Construction

Construction of the 34,000ft² complex was started in 2008 and completed in July 2010. Cost of design and construction was $20m, which was funded by 150 donors including the US brewing giant Anheuser-Busch.

Mondavi Winery design

The complex has been designed to be self-sustainable in power, water and other resources consumption. An auxiliary building has been constructed for rain water capture, storage and recycling and to house a processing water conservation system. The water will be used to clean tanks, barrels and fermentors.

Other sustainable features include onsite solar power generation, technology for carbon dioxide removal from the fermentation tanks through pipes, usage of recycled and local materials, optimal use of natural light and thick thermal insulation, and use of hot and cold water rather than glycol for temperature control.

In December 2010 the facility received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification from the US Green Building Council. It is the first environmental friendly complex in the world to achieve LEED Platinum for all the three facilities.

Technology and processing

The 12,500ft² teaching-and-research winery has 14 2,000l fermentation tanks and 152 200l research fermentation tanks in the north wing. It also has an analytical lab, three controlled-temperature rooms, bottle and barrel cellars and a classroom.

The Department of Viticulture and Ecology uses the winery for teaching courses and conducting research. The Department of Food Science and Technology uses the August A. Busch III Brewing and Food Science Laboratory.

The small-scale reproducible winery is installed with a $1m assembly of 152 wireless fermentors designed and fabricated by Cypress Semiconductor. The 200l stainless steel fermentors are electro-polished and have automation controls over pump-over process and temperature. They are suitable for both red and white wines with complete process controls for improving quality and characteristics of the final product.

The fermentors have high-tech sensor technology for analysis of the sugar content. A wireless computer network transmits data from white and red fermentations to a precision of 0.25 Brix.

The location of the plant near the vineyard, temperature controlled rooms and the fermentation system will allow scientists and students to study winemaking, experiment and precisely investigate the impact of different variables on the wine.

The small-scale brewery focuses on conducting research and developing alternate methods for sustainable production of beer and reduction of by-products. The 1.5 barrel capacity equipment from Cruess Hall has been moved to the new building.

The dairy processing laboratory focuses on teaching and the sustainable production of quality milk products and cheese making. The California Processing Tomato Industry Pilot Plant also focuses on enhancing the nutritional content and firmness of fruits including tomatoes, peaches, prunes and olives. The facility helps in conducting research to improve fruit conditions during transportation to processing plants and developing fruits resistant to insects and fungicides.

The foods processed at the labs will be suitable for human consumption during nutritional and sensory evaluations.