Macrowine 2021
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Use of membrane ultrafiltration technology to achieve protein stabilisation of white wine

Use of membrane ultrafiltration technology to achieve protein stabilisation of white wine

Abstract

AIM: Proteins in white wine can cause cloudiness or haze after bottling, which consumers may consider an indicator of poor quality. As a consequence, winemakers often use bentonite, a clay-based material that binds protein, to remove proteins and achieve protein stabilisation. However, removing bentonite from wine after treatment can result in a 3-10% loss of wine (1). Membrane filtration technology is used in wine production for many purposes and ultrafiltration (UF) offers an easily-translatable process for protein removal (1). UF treatment of wine can produce heat-stable permeate and protein-enriched retentate, which enables targeted protein degradation. Heating the retentate, with or without protease significantly improved the heat stability of recombined wine in pilot scale trials (2). This study evaluated strategies for achieving protein stabilisation using membrane filtration.

METHODS: Sauvignon blanc wine (unfined) was fractionated by UF in triplicate, the resulting retentate subjected to protease and heat (62℃, 10 min) treatment, and the treated retentate recombined with the permeate. Traditional bentonite fining was performed as a positive control. Chemical and sensory analyses were carried out to evaluate the efficacy of treatment.

RESULTS: Heating retentate with protease reduced the concentration of haze-forming proteins by 54% compared with heating alone 40%. Chemical analyses and quality scores for recombined wine showed no significant difference with bentonite-fined wines. Sensory analysis indicated that UF/heat-treatment increased the green apple aroma, alcohol heat and overall flavour intensity of the wines compared to bentonite fined wines, suggesting UF-treated wines retained flavour without imparting oxidative characters.

CONCLUSIONS

Ultrafiltration combined with heat and protease treatment can reduce bentonite use without significantly affecting sensory properties. While results are promising, it is not yet a viable alternative to bentonite fining.

DOI:

Publication date: September 7, 2021

Issue: Macrowine 2021

Type: Article

Authors

Yihe Sui

The University of Adelaide, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine; Australian Research Council Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production.,David, WOLLAN, VAF Memstar; Australian Research Council Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production –      Jacqui, MCRAE, The University of Adelaide, School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials – Richard, MUHLACK, The University of Adelaide, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine; Australian Research Council Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production – Peter, GODDEN, The Australian Wine Research Institute –            Kerry, WILKINSON, The University of Adelaide, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine; Australian Research Council Training Centre for Innovative Wine Productin

Contact the author

Keywords

white wine heat stability, haze, ultrafiltration, wine protein, protease

Citation

Related articles…

Contribution to the sensory and volatile characterization of four traditional Galician red varieties

Galicia, a region sited in the northwest of Spain, is one of the most important wine production area, with five Appellations of Origin Controlled (AOC).

Above and below: soil moisture and soil temperature interact to alter grapevine water relations

The combined effect of soil moisture and soil temperature on grapevine physiology is gaining interest in the context of global warming.

Influence of wood chips addition during alcoholic fermentation on wine phenolic composition

This study investigates the effect of wood chips addition during the alcoholic fermentation on the phenolic
composition of the produced wines. A series of wood chips, originating from American, French, Slavonia
oak and Acacia were added at the beginning of wine alcoholic fermentation. Besides, a mixture consisting
of 50% French and 50% Americal oak chips were added during the experimentation. The wine samples
were analyzed one month after the end of malolactic fermentation, examining various chemical
parameters such as total anthocyanins, total phenolic content, tannins combined with protein (BSA) and
ellagitannin content.

Smoke tainted wine – what now?

The frequency of bushfires close to wine regions around the world has increased in the last two decades. The economic losses incurred when grapes and wines are discarded due to ‘smoke taint’ are substantial (i.e., hundreds of millions of dollars). Efforts to mitigate and ameliorate smoke taint are therefore crucial. Chardonnay, rosé and cabernet sauvignon wines made from grapes exposed to smoke during the 2020 wildfires in eastern Australia were subjected to various amelioration techniques: the addition of activated carbons, molecularly imprinted polymers (mips), and a proprietary resin (either directly, or following membrane filtration); spinning cone column (scc) distillation; and finally, transformation into vinegar.

Impact of malolactic fermentation on volatile composition and sensory properties of white and rosé wine from the greek variety moschofilero

Moschofilero is a native grape variety, classified as a ‘gris’ type variety, that is cultivated in PDO Mantineia, Peloponissos, Greece. It is used for the production of both white and rosé wines. Due to high altitude of the vineyards, the harvest is done by mid October, and many vintages are characterised by high acidities and low pH values.