By Adrienne Brown-Reasner
West Michigan Tourist Association
St. Julian Winery & Distillery, which will celebrate its 100th year in 2021, continues to modernize and expand its operations with the installation of two state-of-the-art storage tanks at its facility in Paw Paw. The 88-foot tanks, which were installed on Aug. 28, and expand storage capacity by 140,000 gallons, are believed to be the tallest to be installed at the winery and quite possibly the state of Michigan.
“We’re replacing many of our old storage tanks and expanding capacity at the Paw Paw facility,” said John Braganini, President and third generation owner. “As we near our 100th anniversary, we have made the strategic decision to modernize and expand our capabilities at St. Julian Winery & Distillery. While we have been around for a century, we have always looked to the horizon and what comes next. That is reflected not only in our production facilities, but also in the products we offer for the all wine consumers.”
Installed just in time for the 2020 harvest, the new tanks will be used for storing base wines and/or juice intended for blending and/or bottling. Together the tanks expand capacity by 140,000 gallons or 10% of the total capacity of the winery. The tanks are stainless-steel with glycol cooling systems, providing the winemaking staff with the capability to control temperature of wines more tightly during and after fermentation.
