OVID — Sheldrake Point Winery in Ovid in Seneca County plans to use its new 7,000-square-foot geothermal wine-production facility this fall as it “continues to build upon its sustainability initiatives.” “With construction nearing completion,” the winery held an official unveiling of the building on Aug. 25, per a news release issued that same day. In […]
OVID — Sheldrake Point Winery in Ovid in Seneca County plans to use its new 7,000-square-foot geothermal wine-production facility this fall as it “continues to build upon its sustainability initiatives.”
“With construction nearing completion,” the winery held an official unveiling of the building on Aug. 25, per a news release issued that same day.
In response to a CNYBJ inquiry, the business declined to disclose the cost of the project or how it financed the effort.
Several firms worked on the project, according to a blog post on the project on the winery’s website. Some of the firms involved included Conley & Son Excavating Co., Ltd. of Seneca Falls; Moravec Construction Services of Ithaca; Morton Buildings of Homer; NP Environmental of Utica; Pleasant Valley Electric of Ithaca; and Vance Metal of Geneva.
The winery, located at 7448 Country Road 153 in Ovid, has 20 employees in a mix of full- and part-time roles, Kyle Anne Pallischeck, marketing and sales manager at Sheldrake Point Winery, said in an email.
Project purpose
The previous facility, used for winemaking since 2001, was outfitted with solar panels in 2004 which powered the entire building. However, most winemaking activities happened on an outdoor crush pad, with tanks “exposed to the elements year-round.”
Breaking ground on the new building in the spring of 2017, the company chose to move wine production indoors to a geothermally heated and cooled facility. The winery could then make wine “in an environment that is closer to a true cellar by taking advantage of the desirable temperature of the earth.”
“Our shift to geothermal heating and cooling, in addition to our existing solar-panel installation, represents our commitment to increasing efficiency, decreasing waste, and finding sustainable solutions to meet our growing needs,” David Wiemann, vineyard manager, said in the release.
As the cost and availability of renewable energy changes, it is “important” that the winery take steps to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels,” Chuck Tauck, owner of Sheldrake Point Winery, said.
“Geothermal energy is very well suited to the wine industry, when the differential between ground temperature and the cool confines of a winery environment create really meaningful efficiencies. We believe in doing what we can to harvest such efficiencies and reduce our dependence on conventional energy,” said Tauck.
