Behind the scenes of mobile bottling — Episode 2

After sharing my career path and a typical day aboard our truck, it's now time to take a look at the behind-the-scenes technical challenges of being a mobile bottling unit manager.
It's a job that is sometimes overlooked... but fascinating!

Daily challenges in the field

Accessing vineyards with a heavy goods vehicle is not always easy. Working conditions vary enormously: tarmac, gravel, earth, mud... not to mention the vagaries of the weather (rain, wind, cold or intense heat).

In this job, flexibility and adaptability are essential to ensure that wine can be bottled in all situations.

Hygiene, safety and quality: our top priorities

Mobile bottling requires unfailing rigour in two areas:

• 👉 Personal safety: our operators handle heavy machinery and loads, often outdoors. Vigilance and prevention are essential to avoid accidents.
  
• 👉 Food safety and wine quality: wine is a living and precious commodity. We adhere to strict hygiene rules and carry out frequent checks to guarantee the quality of the wines we bottle and the safety of consumers.
  

An activity governed by seasonality

Our work follows the winegrowers' calendar: harvests, bottling periods, variations in production.
To cope with peaks in activity, we sometimes call on temporary staff who need to be trained and supported in order to maintain the quality and consistency of our service.

Collaboration with producers

Our director, Bertrand Straebler, is responsible for scheduling appointments and managing logistics.
In the field, my job is to ensure that operations run smoothly and to maintain constant dialogue with customers to guarantee their satisfaction.

A wide variety of customers

We work with a wide range of players in the wine industry:

• small independent winegrowers,
• cooperative wineries,
• and large estates.

Each collaboration is unique and rewarding.

What about the environment?

We are often asked whether a mobile bottling unit is more environmentally friendly than a fixed line. The answer is nuanced: not necessarily.
However, we have implemented several responsible practices, such as:

• recovering rinse water for customers,
• and connecting to the estate's electricity network to limit the use of generators.

These are simple but effective solutions to limit our impact.

In conclusion

The job of mobile bottling unit manager requires rigour, adaptability and commitment.
And that's not all... The next instalment in this series is coming soon!
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