(Wines&Vines) - An optical sorter could easily be the next de rigueur accessory on the well-financed crush pad of a premium winery, but some winemakers aren’t convinced.

The inaugural Innovation + Quality (IQ) conference held Wednesday at Charles Krug Winery featured a panel discussion by winemakers as well as a comparative tasting of wines made with fruit that had undergone optical sorting versus control wines made from grapes that did not pass through the machines.

Billed as the first “forum for ultra-premium wineries,” the event, which was produced by Wine Business Monthly, drew a crowd of more than 1,000 exhibitors and winemakers. In addition to a tradeshow, the event featured several sessions about viticulture, winemaking and the latest academic research. Wines & Vines and Wine Business Monthly are both part of Wine Communications Group.

Sales representatives with companies that make optical sorters, which cost around $100,000 on average, were showing off the machines in the event’s exhibition area, which was set up beneath a huge tent near the newly renovated Krug tasting room. The magazine’s editorial staff bestowed each of the five optical sorting machines currently on the market with IQ awards.

The tasting and panel discussion, held in Krug’s barrel room, featured Dan Kosta, founder of Kosta Browne Winery; Bob Bertheau, head winemaker at Chateau Ste. Michelle; Doug Fletcher, vice president of winemaking for Terlato Wine Group, and Stacy Vogel, winemaker at Miner Family Winery. 

Sorting in the North

Coast Kosta, who moderated the session, said his winemaking team has been using an optical sorter for more than a year. He said he knows most in the industry have questions about the technology, but as more winemakers start to use the machines those questions are getting answered.

Vogel said she rented a Pellenc machine from Walsh Vineyard Management to use for the 2014 vintage. While Miner is located in Napa Valley, Vogel said the winery has always purchased wine grapes from the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA in Monterey County to make a Pinot Noir. For her trial, Vogel separated the Pinot and made two wines in as identical a way as possible, with the only exception being that one went through the additional step of optical sorting.