What is Roll Fermentor and why is it key to high quality wine?

The Roll Fermentor is a tool used in the production of wines, more precisely during its fermentation stage. This invention was made by Mariano Di Paola – Winemaking Director of Rutini – together with Pascal Conte (former director of Tonnellerie Vernou – France) who, in 2003, were able to make a dream they had been working on for a long time come true.

Descriptively, the Roll Fermentor is a barrel whose capacity can range between 500 and 900 liters, which rotates on a central axis supported by rollers that, in some cases, carry more than a ton.

Rutini Wines is the winery with the largest number of Roll Fermentor in the world. This shows, once again, the commitment with quality and innovation of its products.

History

The constant trips of Mariano Di Paola to the wine regions of France allowed him to meet Pascal Conte personally. Conte, at that time, was the director of Tonnellerie Vernou, a barrel factory that had been supplying Rutini Wines with barrels for a long time.

The talks and debates on the uses of the different styles of oak led them to search for innovation. After several sketches, designs and tests, they came to what we now know as Roll Fermentor.

The initial objective was to create a tool that during the elaboration of the wine would provide the traces of the wood and whose technical operations would not be aggressive for the grape.

Currently, these innovative artifacts are manufactured, in different sizes and with different complements. What remains unchanged is its aim: to provide excellence in results.

Benefits

When used during fermentation, the benefits obtained are:

A better integration of the oak to the must;
The gradual breaking of grains;
The smoother extraction of color and tannins;
The optimization of time since each turn the Roll Fermentor makes (which only takes a couple of seconds) replaces the remounts or delestages made in stainless steel tanks;
The elegance and balance of the finished wines.

Harvest 2019

During this year’s elaboration, the grapes fermented in the Roll Fermentor were: