30/07/2019

At New Jersey’s Sky Acres Winery in Far Hills, the wine is crafted in an unconventional way. Vijay Singh and his wife, Meera Singh - a semi-retired couple have patented the GOfermentor, which is a winemaking system that delivers outsized results, although it occupies a less footmark. Vijay Singh is a fermentation engineer and Meera Singh is a winemaker. The technology used in the GOFermentor replaces the labor-intensive fermentation practices with biodegradable plastic bags.

Producers simply replace the biodegradable plastic bags, instead of using the sterilized stainless steel tanks between each bach - saving time & other resources.

Fresh releases from Sky Acres’ include Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Mr. Big red blend. Each of them bagged silver and bronze medals at the 2019 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. The 2017 Black Silver Red - made with New Jersey-grown Maréchal Foch, scooped Best in Class. All were made via the GOfermentor.

The set-up cost of the system is comparatively less than that of a traditional winery start-up. The base is $500, a three-pack of liners is $300, and the touchscreen is $1,900.

Singh has also patented a NoairWine Aging system. The technology used in this system pumps out wine straight from the GOliner into a flexible plastic bag. This biodegradable plastic bag is lined with metal foil to block oxygen. The bag is then placed inside a traditional barrel or another container. The liner subsides as the wine is removed to store wine indefinitely without oxidation.

What’s next for Sky Acres’?

With new innovations created by Singh in Sky Acres’ - the couple refers to the winery as a “research winery” center. A home-sized GOfermentor Jr is scheduled to be released in May of this year.