There is considerable room for improvement in terms of water and energy consumption in the vinification, maturing and conservation processes of traditional wine cellars. That is why we designed ECO CHAI, an innovative and global concept: with its concrete tanks that act both as insulated container and shell, walls and roof for the fermenting room.

In concrete terms, this Concept means that:

1) Wine-making conditions are improved:
- complete access to the tank roofs (for cagettes, stalk separators, pigeurs for punching down etc.)
- ideal geometry for fermentation tanks (H=L=D)
- gravity system running off and demarcage (pomace removal)

2) Wine maturing and conservation conditions can be enhanced:
- concrete’s inertia is excellent for debourbage, vinification and maturing
- concrete allows for gaseous exchanges

3) Electricity consumption can be reduced:
- 6 times less air to be conditioned and less space to be lit
- 4 times less tank wall surface in contact with ambient air
- 9 times less conductivity of the tank walls
- Total suppression of heat loss due to cooling surfaces in contact with ambient air

4) Water consumption can be limited:
- Floor surface maintenance halved
- Only a quarter of the outer wall surface to be cleaned
- Rain water recovered

5) Work performance can be boosted while also giving greater comfort to the personnel

6) Effluent treatment can be integrated in the very structure of the cellar

7) Renewable energies can be harnessed

8) The space occupied by the building can be reduced