Protecting Quality From the First Pick

The moment those grapes are picked, the countdown begins. Ensuring their quality before they even hit the fermenter is crucial, and that’s where effective refrigeration comes into play.

While many focus on fermentation control, it’s important to remember that refrigeration is vital at every step of the winemaking journey — from the harvest to maturation and even during storage of the final product. This is why winery refrigeration hire is such a key strategy for maintaining quality.

In our previous blog about under-capacity in winery cooling, we discussed how a heatwave or a bumper crop can really stretch your cooling system to its limits. And in “Winery Cooling Failure: What’s Your Backup?”, we looked at the consequences of a chiller breaking down right in the middle of harvest.

Temporary refrigeration is your safety net, helping you avoid both extremes by providing the necessary cooling when your fermenters, systems, or infrastructure just can’t keep up.

Beyond the Glycol Chiller

While a glycol chiller is crucial for controlling fermentation, winemaking requires more than just cooling tanks. Grapes, must, barrels, and bottled wine all need protection from heat and fluctuating conditions.

Winery refrigeration hire gives you a flexible solution to fill those gaps — offering cold storage and environmental control exactly when and where you need it.

Key Applications for Winery Refrigeration Hire

• Trailer-mounted Cool room hire: Keep those hand-picked grapes cool in bins before processing to maintain their delicate aromas and minimize oxidation risks.
• Cold Soaks: Utilise temporary refrigeration to chill unfermented must, allowing you to extract colour and flavour compounds while postponing the start of fermentation.
• Barrel Hall Cooling: Ensure stable, cool conditions during maturation to protect the wine’s structure and prevent spoilage.
• Finished Goods Storage: Use 20ft/40ft Reefer Containers for dependable storage of bottled wine before it goes out for distribution, ensuring the product remains stable.

The Aircon Rentals Refrigeration Fleet

At Aircon Rentals, we offer a full range of temporary refrigeration solutions tailored to support wineries at every stage of their production process:

• Mobile cool rooms in a variety of sizes – temperature is minus 18 Deg c for a freezer or plus 4 deg c for a Fridge. Designed for easy transport and maintenance, our units operate quietly while delivering consistent cooling.
• Refrigerated reefers for storing bulk or finished goods – 20ft and 40ft
• Commercial Fridges and freezer Hire for cellar door operations and winery events.

Our fleet is built for quick delivery and easy setup, ensuring that your grapes, must, barrels, and bottled wine stay protected, no matter what the weather throws at you.

Case Study in Action: Emergency Temporary Cooling Solution

During harvest, one Australian winery faced a critical refrigeration breakdown, putting thousands of litres of wine at risk.

Within hours, Aircon Rentals delivered and commissioned a temporary chiller system that restored cooling to fermentation and storage areas, maintaining the correct temperature range and saving the vintage.

This rapid response showcased how portable chillers can provide effective emergency refrigeration support when permanent systems fail — ensuring continuity, product integrity, and peace of mind during the busiest time of year.

Read the full story: Emergency Temporary Cooling Solution for Wineries

A Versatile Tool for Quality Control

Winemaking is all about precision at every step — and refrigeration plays a crucial role in that.

By integrating winery refrigeration hire into your harvest and production strategy, you gain flexible, reliable cooling that protects quality from grape to glass.