terclim by ICS banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 International Congress on Grapevine and Wine Sciences 9 2ICGWS-2023 9 Inert gases persistence in wine storage tank blanketing

Inert gases persistence in wine storage tank blanketing

Abstract

It is common to find tanks in the winery with wine below their capacity due to wine transfers between tanks of different capacities or the interruption of operations for periods of a few days. This situation implies the existence of an ullage space in the tank with prolonged contact with the wine causing its absorption/oxidation. Oxygen uptake from the air headspace over the wine due to differences in the partial pressure of O2 can be rapid, up to 1.5 mL of O2 per liter of wine in one hour and 100 cm2 of surface area1 and up to saturation after 4 hours. The industrial solution consists of inerting the gas space by means of an inert gas blanket to avoid contact with air. This procedure can be done with automatic systems that generate an overpressure of inert gas and are able to respond to variations in the filling level of the tanks. This is not common in most wineries and in order to propose an easy and effective system, nitrogen (N2), argon (Ar), and carbon dioxide (CO2), the commonly used inert gases in the wine industry, together with their mixtures, have been compared. The persistence of a gaseous blanket of the inert gas (O2<0.5%)2 in the ullage space of the tank and its ability to reduce the uptake of atmospheric O2 into the wine were analyzed.

In addition to checking which of the five gases tested provided the best protection over time with a simple application, two different application methods were compared. In a third phase, the economic optimization was studied by reducing the amount of gas on the basis of the ability of almost all of these gases to form blankets due to their higher density than air.

Acknowledgements: ITACyL for their financial support to Actividades de Investigación, Promoción de la Innovación y la Transferencia del Conocimiento en Sectores Estratégicos de Castilla y León: SECTOR VITIVINÍCOLA

1 Peynaud E. (1981) Knowing and Making Wine. Wiley

Dharmadhikkari, M. (2016) Use of Inert Gases. Midwest Grape and Wine Industry Institute

DOI:

Publication date: October 13, 2023

Issue: ICGWS 2023

Type: Poster

Authors

Ignacio Nevares*, María Asensio-Cuadrado, Rubén del Barrio-Galán, Elena Pérez-Cardo, Ana Martínez-Gil, Luis Miguel Cárcel and Maria del Alamo-Sanza

Grupo UVaMOX-Universidad de Valladolid. Avda. Madrid 50. 34001 Palencia, Spain

Contact the author*

Keywords

inert gases, blanketing, oxygen, ullage space

Tags

2ICGWS | ICGWS | ICGWS 2023 | IVES Conference Series

Citation

Related articles…

The tolerance of grapevine rootstocks to water deficit is related to root morphology and xylem anatomy traits 

Climate change is altering water balances, thereby compromising water availability for crops. In grapevine, the strategic selection of genotypes more tolerant to soil water deficit can improve the resilience of the vineyard under this scenario. Previous studies demonstrated that root anatomical and morphological traits determine vine performance under water deficit conditions. Therefore, 13 ungrafted rootstock genotypes, 6 commercial (420 A, 41 B, Evex 13-5, Fercal, 140 Ru y 110 R), and 7 from new breeding programs (RG2, RG3, RG4, RG7, RG8, RG9 and RM2) were evaluated in pots during 2021 and 2022.

Mycorrhizal symbiosis modulates flavonoid and amino acid profiles in grapes of Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon 

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) symbiosis is probably the most widespread beneficial interaction between plants and microorganisms. AMF has been widely reported to promote grapevine growth, water and nutrient uptake as well as both biotic and abiotic stress tolerance[1]. However, the impact of AMF on grape composition has been less studied. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of the association between two commercial grapevine cultivars (Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon grafted onto 110 rootstock) and AMF on the anthocyanin, flavonol and amino acid concentrations and profiles of grapes.

Influence of p-Coumaric Acid and Micronutrients on Growth and 4-Ethylphenol Production by Brettanomyces bruxellensis

The wine spoilage caused by Brettanomyces bruxellensis is one of the global concerns for winemakers. Detecting the presence of B. bruxellensis using routine laboratory culture techniques becomes challenging when cells enter the viable but not culturable (VBNC) state. This study aims to investigate the impact of p-coumaric acid (a volatile phenol precursor) and micronutrients on B. bruxellensis’ culturability, viability, and volatile phenol production under sulfite stress. In red wine, exposure to a high sulfite dose (100.00 mg L-1 potassium metabisulfite) resulted in immediate cell death, followed by a recovery of culturability after two weeks.

Towards a better understanding of cultivar susceptibility to esca disease: results from a pluriannual common garden monitoring

Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) exhibits a high level of genetic and phenotypic diversity among the approximately 6000 cultivars recorded. This perennial crop is highly vulnerable to numerous fungal diseases, including esca, which is a complex vascular pathology that poses a significant threat to the wine sector, as there is currently no cost-efficient curative method[1]. In this context, an effective approach to mitigate the impact of such diseases is by leveraging the crop’s genetic diversity. Indeed, susceptibility to esca disease appears to vary between cultivars, under artificial or natural infection. However, the mechanisms and varietal characteristics underlying cultivar susceptibility to esca are still unknown.

Irrigation frequency in four grapevine red varieties in Spain. Effect on must volatile composition

The irrigation water management in the vineyard is a crucial aspect to obtain sustainable quality production over time. Previous studies have set the water requirements to be applied in the vineyard at 30 % of the reference evapotranspiration (ET0), although there are no studies that settle the effects of the frequency of irrigation application on red varieties in Spain. The present study contemplates the application of deficit irrigation (30 % ET0) applying a weekly dose in a single irrigation (T07) or in two irrigation events (T03) per week. The study has been carried out in 2021-2022 with four red varieties in different Spanish wine regions: Garnacha Tinta (Badajoz), Tempranillo (Valladolid), Syrah (Albacete) and Mencía (Lugo). The effects of irrigation frequency on must volatile composition have been evaluated through GC-MS.