
Cold storage solutions for the wine sector
When freshly picked grapes can’t be processed immediately, cold storage helps keep them in tip-top condition until you have the capacity to crush and press them
When freshly picked grapes can’t be processed immediately, cold storage helps keep them in tip-top condition until you have the capacity to crush and press them
The planet is getting warmer. 2023 was the hottest year since record-keeping began in 1880, and the past decade has been the warmest 10-year period ever recorded.For US winemakers, this poses a significant problem.
Since the earliest days of winemaking, weather conditions have played a critical role during the growing and harvesting season.
Today, however, the short window in which grapes must be gathered because they have reached the perfect blend of sugars, acids and flavour compounds is being brought forward.
That’s because higher temperatures are making grapes ripen more quickly. As a result, winemakers often need to harvest their entire grape stock en masse.
Unlike in previous years, when some of the harvested grapes could be left for a day or two while awaiting their turn to be processed, extreme summer heat risks ruining any grapes that can’t be dealt with immediately.
TITAN’s 20ft and 40ft high-tech refrigerated containers (known as ArcticStores) give winemakers a safety net when they lack the capacity to process their freshly picked grapes all at once. They provide a safe haven for grapes that are awaiting their turn to be crushed – which kickstarts the fermentation process. TITAN depots in many countries are seeing a sharp spike in demand from vineyards for our portable cold storage units during the harvest period.
In 2024, for example, requests for cold storage containers from clients in Austria – which has a similar climate to Great Britain – more than doubled. We have also seen rising interest in our temperature-controlled containers for wine clients in Greece, France, and other territories.
We have also seen rising interest in our temperature-controlled containers for wine clients in Greece, France, and other territories. In the coming years, we expect demand in the US to increase exponentially. As J.J. Huber, winemaker and owner of the Laguna Canyon Winery in Southern California, recently told ABC News: climate change is “always going to be a concern going forward” for the wine industry.
The global wine market has a value of almost $350bn. And it is under threat.
Climate change is rewriting the winemaker’s rulebook, forcing vineyard owners worldwide to rethink how they plant vines, harvest grapes, and process their wine.
Explore TITAN’s “Wine-paper” to gain key insights into how cold storage offers new solutions that can help provide winemakers with an innovative security blanket.
TITAN’s state-of-the-art cold storage for wine clients can be rapidly deployed whenever and wherever needed.
Available on flexible rental terms, our high-tech refrigerated containers are the ideal solution for US winemakers who need some breathing room during the busy harvest season.
Most clients rent one or more 20ft or 40ft units, requesting they be delivered adjacent to their grape-processing facilities. After chilling to around +5°C, the grapes can swiftly be forklifted to the processing area when the winemaker chooses.
We also have 10ft ArcticStore containers, which are well-suited to micro-vineyards.
TITAN’s world-famous ArcticStore reefer containers for the wine sector offer best-in-class airflow to help spread cool air across the widest possible area.
Each unit has a sophisticated remote monitoring and control system for additional peace of mind.
Fierce competition and a challenging global marketplace are making winemaking increasingly complex. As well as facing multiple decisions about yeasts, alcohol content, stabilising ingredients, fermentation times and ageing, winemakers from California to New York State must contend with global warming, too.
Concern about the climate crisis in the wine sector has been growing since the turn of the millennium.
Many experts predict that cooler countries, such as England, northern Germany and even Sweden and Scotland, will be better suited to certain types of wine production in just a few decades.TITAN has the expertise, capacity and technology wine clients need to maintain production levels today.
Our pioneering portable cold storage solutions have been helping clients in multiple sectors for more than 15 years.ArcticStores can be positioned indoors or outdoors and will rapidly achieve the temperature you need – usually around 5°C. This can be maintained for as long as required – no matter how hot the weather outside.
When freshly harvested grapes await their turn to be processed, portable cold storage offers winemakers game-changing contingency planning. ArcticStores help to:
The Stift Klosterneuburg wine estate is Austria’s oldest winery, founded in 1114. With vineyards across the east of the country, it is especially busy in late summer when grapes need to be picked, ready to be turned into wine.
In 2024, the company rented two 20ft ArcticStores from our Austrian team to give their winemakers extra flexibility during the harvest. Stift Klosterneuburg is just one of 19 winemaking clients our Austrian team looked after in 2024.
SECTOR: Wine
LOCATION: Austria
Perfectly ripened grapes are only one of the reasons that wine estate managers may feel compelled to begin their harvest earlier than they would have liked.
Other circumstances may dictate that large quantities of grapes must be picked rapidly, too – such as an impending storm, wildfires, or the threat of fungal infection.
Portable cold storage gives winemakers the flexibility they need to confidently make such decisions. ArcticStore cold storage containers also give vineyards breathing space in the event of breakdowns in processing equipment at the time of harvest.
TITAN helps winemakers all over the world mitigate these problems with a flexible, low-cost solution that is more affordable than increasing processing capacity or installing a permanent cold room.
Cold storage on demand can:
Many wineries and vineyards today are at pains to be as natural, eco-friendly and sustainable as possible. Organic wine production is growing at a rate of 10% per year worldwide.
TITAN is as committed to the environment as you are. Our next-generation ArcticStore containers have superior insulation levels to minimise heat leakage. They also have energy-efficient cooling systems that help you rapidly achieve the precise temperature you need.
Cold storage on demand is easy, affordable, and kinder on the environment than the C02 footprint that would result from doubling production capacity or building a permanent cold room.
You are also partnering with a brand committed to sustainability. For example, TITAN aims to replace all its empty container handlers (ECHs) with electric ones by 2030.These powerful forklift-type vehicles are used to move ArcticStores around 100+ TITAN Containers sites worldwide.
With 40+ strategically placed yards across North America, we’re never far away – which keeps delivery costs down. We have sales and rental centers in Toronto, Los Angeles, Miami and everywhere in between, so your shipping container or cold storage solution will be on site in no time.
We value your business and are here to provide quick and hassle-free support for any inquiries or concerns. Get in touch with us by phone for immediate live assistance – or send us an email. We’ll get back to you as soon as we can.