Team Instagrid was recently inspired by the walk we organised in the Neckar valley among the vineyards and we decided to test our instagrid portable power supply at a vineyard close by. The vineyard that was brave enough to test our new device is called Ludwigsburger Neckarhälde, and is located at a picture perfect spot on the steep slope with a view of the Neckar river and its barrage weir.
The place oozes with tranquillity and tradition – here, on these slopes, winegrower Helmut Riegraf has taken care of his vineyard since 1957, with most of the vines being over 100 year old. The grapes grown here are of Trollinger variety, the regional pride and joy, as this variety is grown almost exclusively here in the Württemberg region. The late ripening Trollinger vines require the best slopes to grow, and skilful care to yield top quality harvest. The grapes grown and harvested by the Riegraf family are carefully crafted into splendid Trollinger wine at the nearby co-operative winery, Weingärtner Marbach. The end result is a wine with a hearty character, lively and fruity often with delicate cherry and currant aromas.
In the midst of admiration for the ancient craft of wine growing, we thought something has to be disrupted. Today, even the most traditional crafts use modern tools. At a vineyard, a variety of power tools are in use: hedge trimmers, angle grinders, drills, power scythes and augers. All these need electricity, which has been previously generated with a diesel generator. This is where instagrid steps in and replaces the old technology with a new one: zero-emission, lightweight power source, that has more than enough power for getting any job done at the vineyard.“The instagrid device is much easier to handle than the old power generator. I am convinced.”, mr. Riegraf says.
And we are convinced that the next decade will be the decade of batteries, leaving the combustion engines in history. We wish you all Happy Holidays and a prosperous New year!