Learn How Enotek Improved Winemaking Processes in Mexico with Smart, IoT-enabled Cellar Monitoring

Enotek, a small Mexican company, specializes in providing IoT solutions for problems impacting the wine industry in Mexico. Working directly with winemakers in Mexico's premier wine region, they are developing an ecosystem of hardware and software systems to control critical processes in vineyards and wineries.

As a team, Enotek has been developing automation technologies for more than 10 years. As a company, in 2018, they began providing IoT solutions as a service for businesses in the smart buildings and assembly plant sectors. However, stringent restrictions on travel and work in enclosed spaces due to COVID-19 compelled them to explore other avenues. Over the past year, their focus has shifted towards assisting the local winemaking industry. Enotek has devised systems to monitor and control fermentation tank temperatures and other winery conditions. Their close collaboration with passionate winemakers has enabled them to draw on their expertise to develop products and service schemes tailored to their needs and capabilities.

Maintaining a low ambient temperature and high relative humidity in barrel cellars is critical to producing exceptional wines and reducing production costs. However, monitoring and controlling these conditions is often overlooked in small and medium-sized wineries in Mexico, due to poor connectivity and the high costs associated with HVAC systems. This is particularly true in the region's hot and dry climate, which can lead to significant wine loss and degradation.

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The project’s initial stage consisted of installing completely wireless temperature and relative humidity sensors in the cellar and uploading data to the cloud via a LoRaWAN gateway. The system is a direct implementation of RAK's WisBlock Weather Monitor Kit and WisGate Developer Gateway (RAK7246). Other than batteries and installation materials, no additional components are used. Data is uploaded via MQTT to the cloud to be stored and visualized in Enotek’s web app. Alvaro and his staff can now monitor and analyze diurnal and seasonal ambient condition variations, as well as receive alarms via e-mail and messaging services through the web app, where other modules of the Enotek ecosystem are also installed.

For the second phase of the project, they are adding RAK's IAQ sensor (RAK1906) and a CO₂ sensor connected via the WisBlock interface Module (RAK5811). A microcontroller will be added to the system for the A/C or humidifier units. It will optimize their operation to ensure ideal aging conditions without increasing energy consumption. Once the components were selected and purchased, it took no more than 2 months to configure, test, and deploy the system. Installation on-site was completed within a few hours.

The solution that Enotek offers – the Enotek Cellar Monitor – for the winemaking industry consists of three elements:

• Sensors – These devices, cleverly designed with an integrated suite of core and customizable features, record temperature, relative humidity, and atmospheric pressure every 5 minutes. In the wine industry, the standard sensor cannot be simply picked up from the market, making Wisblock an exceptional platform to leverage. The sensors operate on battery power, eliminating the need for Wi-Fi. Additional features include a buzzer, an RS485 interface for cooling systems, and illumination sensors.
• Gateway – This serves as the link between the sensors and the web app, offering secure data transfer, low power consumption, and the ability to connect numerous sensors. It interconnects the sensors and controllers in each tank and connects the system to the internet. Additionally, it handles preventive actions such as data backup and issuing alarms during critical system failures.
• Web application – The user interface offers secure data storage in the Amazon cloud (AWS), the ability to check conditions in the cellar on any device and at any time and place, graphical visualization and data download of the history of the conditions in your cellar, alerts, and options to modify the operating parameters of the HVAC system.

Enotek now confidently uses RAK's LoRaWAN sensors and network devices, given their versatility, user-friendliness, and low-power/long-range capabilities. These qualities make them a valuable tool for addressing challenges in the winemaking business and other agricultural sectors. Their affordability is crucial for making these IoT technologies accessible to small agricultural and wine producers, including those in developing countries.

Many wines spend a significant portion of their lives in an aging cellar. It is essential to control temperature and humidity in these spaces to minimize evaporation losses and prevent unwanted effects from temperature fluctuations. With the Enotek Cellar Monitor, winemakers can stay informed about cellar conditions. They can receive alerts if conditions deviate from the optimal range, track changes in cellar conditions over time, and monitor other environmental variables such as CO₂ or VOC content.

Furthermore, it's critical to maintain adequate temperature control during vinification or any other process, to avoid conditions that could compromise wine quality. The temperature within the winery tanks is monitored in real-time via sensors. These are linked to controllers that regulate coolant flow and maintain fermentation tank temperatures according to your needs. Enotek places their non-invasive, wireless sensors at desired sites within the cellar. These sensors transmit data to servers in the AWS cloud via a gateway located in the winery. Clients can access Enotek's web platform to check their cellar status anytime, anywhere.

With Enotek, there's one less factor to worry about. All monitoring is centralized, with no learning curve required. Enotek’s web application provides reliable and secure data storage and processing in the Amazon Web Services cloud. Through its intuitive and powerful user interface, you can consistently monitor and control your winery conditions from a laptop, tablet, or mobile phone.

Enotek plans to add more modules to their ecosystem for better fermentation control in tanks and address other challenges in the grape growing and winemaking industry. One area of particular interest, considering the increasing drought conditions in northwest Mexico, is smart irrigation. This successful project and experience with RAK's products are instrumental in their ongoing efforts to penetrate the ag-tech sector.