Solar Winery

 

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Video Transcript

Peter Howard (HRH Vineyards)
“Once you get this grape going in the right direction, it just goes. It knows what to do. Where that Cynthiana is confused.”

Chuck Denney (UT Institute of Agriculture)
The crop isn’t typical for Tennessee, and neither is the chap growing it.
Retired Brit physicist Peter Howard produces gorgeous grapes at HRH Vineyards in his wife’s hometown of Humboldt.  HRH stands for Her Royal Highness.

Peter Howard
“I never meant to have this many vines. I really just wanted to plant enough to make a few bottles, but it’s kind of grown a bit.”

Chuck Denney
Has it ever.  Nine miles of vines over 13 acres, with room to grow even more. HRH features three varieties of white grapes, and three red.
Dr. David Lockwood - UT Professor of Food Science Technology - has worked with HRH to get the grapes going.

Dr. David Lockwood(UT Extension)
“He did his homework very well before he planted, varieties, spacing, types of trellis’, irrigation. He spent a lot of time researching it.”

Peter Howard
“Everything here, we made here. I think that’s really kind of cool. We grow the grapes. We have a well. We didn’t make the water, but if fell here. And we make the power.”

Chuck Denney
That power comes from that big glowing star above.
HRH Vineyards includes these solar panels that trap light and heat from the sun - using it in a 17-thousand watt system that runs the utilities for the operation.Excess power goes to the town of Humboldt. Wineries using solar power is a trend we’re seeing across the country.  It’s especially popular in Napa Valley,California - where energy costs have been very high in recent years.  Peter Howard believes it’s a move that just makes good business sense.

Peter Howard
“The solar really goes with the winery. Let’s face it, the grape is a product of the sun.”

Chuck Denney
Not only does the sun make the grapes sweeter, but it makes the economics work a bit better for HRH. Running a vineyard this size can get costly, and solar power can help with utilities. Howard says he’s ready for a tasty return on his investment.

Peter Howard
“They say the gift that keeps on giving. This is the gift that keeps on taking.”

Chuck Denney
About 15 tons of grapes will be harvested at HRH, and the vineyard hopes to produce 20-thousand bottles of wine this winter. And it all started with the decision to let the sunshine in.

END

NOTE: No matter where you live in Tennessee, there’s a winery not far from you.Go to the web site for the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, and you can find a listing of all our state’s wineries