In the tasting room, clean glass is critical. In fact, some might suggest a perfectly clean wine glass is just as important as what goes in it. The vessel must lack water spots, be absolutely dry, sanitized and devoid of any lipstick. Who knew lipstick was such a problem?

Well, Miele Professional does because they now offer a new washer, the Model G-7859-W , designed specifically to address these issues and more.

A German company since 1899, Miele has long offered exclusive product lines famous for addressing high end niche markets, like the pharmaceutical industry or private yachts.

ARS, a company whose core business is sterilization in the "pharma" business, are the same people who introduced the wine industry to steam sterilization for the bottling line. They recently approached Miele with tasting room concerns. The result is that ARS now sells the wash units to wineries throughout the United States.

There are three advantages to using a Miele washer that make it stand out from many restaurant and commercial units. They are high flow, high temperature and high pressure.

The units have a circulation flow rate of 106 gallons per minute. In comparison, a typical household dishwasher will be around 20 gpm. The programmable wash cycles range from 85°F to elevated sanitation levels of up to 200°F. That gets the lipstick.

By adding high pressure to the flow and temperature, the powerful cleaning action means wineries can now avoid using harsh liquid chemicals often required and proprietary to many competing designs. The eventual "etching" (the white powdery look) of wine glasses can be a result of these chemicals.

The G-7859-W automatically comes with upper- and lower-level glass racks designed specifically for wineries. Exchangeable racks are available for any application, including champagne flutes. Most wineries would opt for a Bordeaux rack in the bottom and one for smaller whites on top. While other washers may feature a shorter wash cycle, Miele, with two dedicated racks, can cycle twice the capacity.

Miele even designs the racks to position glasses slightly off-vertical so there is no puddling of water in the base of the stems. The units have a built-in electric heater to assure accurate temperature settings throughout all cycles. As an added bonus, they even have a built-in water softener.

The washer's drying cycles are also programmable. This is a big plus for those in the tasting room as they are assured not just a clean glass but also one that is dry. No extra hand toweling is required, and that keeps health inspectors happy.

Another advantage to using a Miele is they report to be the quietest wash units available in the industry. Anyone who has been in a tasting room while a washer is reverberating in the back room will appreciate the non-intrusive silence of these units.

The washers are sold as stand-alone or for under-counter installation. They meet all requirements for the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF), a watch group that establishes specifications for, among other things, commercial washers.

After purchase, parts and support are available through a nationwide network of service centers maintained by the parent company, Miele. The warranty is one year, parts and labor. Washers are available in single- or three-phase power, 208V. They come with an LED display showing program information, faults and service status.

One final thought: Miele is well respected in the cleaning and sanitation business, but they also cross over into refrigeration. And guess what, they have a complete line of wine coolers as well.

What's Cool

Most everyone in the winery is busy making the wine while relatively few people actually present it to the customers. Your tasting room folks will appreciate this improved technology, designed specifically for the most critical piece of "equipment" in your tasting room: the wine glass.

These highly efficient machines will make your job in the tasting room easier. The results are impressive, and you can concentrate on the important things, like selling wine. Your Riedel will look brand new.

For more information, contact ARS at 1-800-735-9277 or www.cleanwinery.com. wbm

Send new product information to Bill Pregler at bpregler@winebusiness.com