Woodland, Calif.—WECO Sorting and Automation donated a new, optical wine grape sorting machine worth $71,500 to the new Ste. Michelle Wine Estates Wine Science Center at the Washington State University Tri-Cities campus in Richland, Wash.

The sorter uses advanced cameras, LEDs (light-emitting diodes) and software technology to identify  stems, insects, unripe and damaged fruit and raisins. Unwanted items are removed with precise blasts of air, increasing quality and throughput while reducing labor costs. WSU staff said the new machine will be used for conducting research trials on sorting and processing methods.

“We have a vibrating table that aids winery staff who are hand sorting grapes, and soon we will have the WECO Optical Sorter,” said associate professor D. Jim Harbertson in a joint statement released by WECO and WSU. “We can make wines from the same batch of grapes then compare these two technologies against not sorting the grapes at all. … These results could help wineries decide which sorting method is most likely to bring out the aromas and flavors their customers seek.”