Hochiki Italia products chosen for prestigious winery fire safety update

In the heart of Franciacorta, at the top of the hill overlooking Bornato, sits the historic headquarters of the Società Agricola Monte Rossa srl. Owned by the Rabotti family since 1972, the Winery is famous for its fine wines that can satisfy even the most demanding palates.

Producing 500,000 bottles per year and with 70 hectares of managed vineyards, Monte Rossa is considered a leader for the quality level of the Franciacorta wines it produces.

Last May, the new Winery by Monte Rossa was inaugurated – just a few kilometres from the historical headquarters. This was an ambitious project, using the latest in wine making technology, that also included an innovative fire detection system designed with the support of the installation company Eurodue srl of Brescia, a leading distributor of fire-fighting equipment and Hochiki dealer.

Just like many other wineries in Italy, and indeed around the world, Monte Rossa is made up of different buildings for processing, storage, and packaging, which are mostly made of reinforced concrete and masonry. In terms of fire, the room that is the most at risk is the storage and packaging areas, since copious quantities of combustible materials are often stored in this room. In the wine industry, substances (such as nitrogen) contained in pressure vessels (cylinders) are commonly used, so particular care must be taken when using them, and the produces must ensure the room can be sealed in an emergency, to avoid explosions and fires.

The new fire detection system was to cover an area of 20,000Sqm, divided across four levels with indoor and outdoor areas. The automatic and manual fire detection systems were installed in offices, laboratory, vinification areas, the Barrique cellar, the “sur lattes” bottle ageing rooms and the disgorging and bottling areas. The new Hochiki fire detection system also controls the fire doors of the compartmentalised processing and production areas of the building.

Products chosen to protect the building, contents, staff and visitors include Hochiki’s SCI Sensors which are part of the ESP (Intelligent Range) which are trusted worldwide to reduce false alarms and allow systems to be tailored to achieve optimum performance.

Ezio Danese, Project Manager at Hochiki Italia explained: ‘The UNI 9795 standard requires the installation of a short-circuit isolator for each zone in a building. SCI detectors with integrated isolator and various installed devices such as call points and I/O modules with double isolator ensure that the system complies with the regulatory requirements, without having to install additional isolators. This is definitely an advantage for the installer.”

Visual Alarm Devices (VADs) were also installed. These were a key component to the install because they provide a visual indication of an alarm condition, essential for areas where the public might be visiting, or in areas where staff might be wearing ear defenders.

Filippo Piubeni, co-owner of Eurodue srl, commented: “It is always a pleasure to be able to complete such an important fire detection system project. We are proud to have made secure a site such as the Monte Rossa Winery, which is not only technologically advanced but equally linked to the winemaking tradition of the Franciacorta region. This top-quality system will provide the best possible protection for staff and the facility’s many visitors. The system was installed by the company Bignetti Salvato and carefully programmed by FYS srl di Gregorelli Francesco, Hochiki’s Technical Assistance Centre, which was able to optimise the various operational requirements in accordance with the project and current regulations.

The Hochiki fire detection system installed at Monte Rossa is a feather in our company’s cap for the foreseeable future.”