The Santo Union of Santorini Products, founded in 1947, is one of the most dynamic Unions of Greece with 1200 members. Wine production is one of the Union's main activities and its cellars are home to high-quality wines. The phenomenon of lowering the wine level during aging in the wooden barrels was a permanent problem for Santo Wines and ANDRIANOS solved the problem of wine loss by installing a modern humidification system for the cellars.
The problem of lowering the level of wine occurs due to the dehydration of oak wood barrels, mainly due to the insufficient amount of moisture in storage and aging of wine. The "share of angels", that is, the amount of wine lost each year through the barrel, is a permanent and particularly important problem in wineries worldwide, as wine levels are dramatically decreasing during aging and economic losses are high. The loss of wine through 225lt wooden barrels ranges from 10 to 12lt in sweet varieties, and up to 33lt per year in dry wine.
At Santo Wines, a total of about 225 oak barrels of 225 liters are stored in 3 cellars of 700 m². According to the techno-economic study, average wine loss per barrel is 20 liters per year. The size is particularly large, since a reduction in euros results in a loss of € 200 per barrel per year. In the 1000 barrels the losses are 200,000 euros! With the new auto-humidification system, a significant reduction in wine loss is achieved, resulting in high savings with immediate depreciation of the investment!
With the ANDRIANOS specialized humidification systems, the 3 Santo Wines cellars now have the desired moisture levels to limit evaporation of the wine and maintain wine quality to the maximum! The system is set to start automatically when the humidity drops to 70% and closes when it reaches 80% (The ideal moisture level inside the cellars, according to the international literature, is from 65% minimum to 85% maximum). It takes about 1.5 minutes of operation to achieve the desired levels, with an infinitesimal water and electrical consumption. The system is 100% automated and keeps moisture constant, regardless of external environmental conditions, all year round.
The equipment installed to achieve steady humidification in the spaces of the three cellars is the latest technology of Italian origin. It incorporates high sensitivity humidity sensors to perfectly measure and stabilize indoor humidity, as well as top-of-the-range high reliability automation systems. In addition, a complete water purification and softening system has been installed to prevent damage to the machinery and proper operation.
With this new facility, Santo Wines is upgraded and continues to look forward to the future with optimism, continuing with the task of preserving local tradition and history, protecting traditional crops and producing wine and traditional local products of Protected Designation of Origin Santorini (PDO) of high quality.
Since 1994, ANDRIANOS has been working with cutting-edge technologies in heating, air conditioning and energy saving, delivering high performance and efficient systems, by investing in the study and know-how of dynamic sectors in the direction of RES, energy saving and environmental protection with quality projects and quality buildings with low operating costs, without technical problems and with respect to the environment.
