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Tartaric wine stabilization plant (9000 L/hour).
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Wine Pour obtenir cette page en français, cliquez ici
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TARTRATE STABILIZATION OF WINE BY ELECTRODIALYSIS
We are pleased to introduce a new method for the tartrate stabilization of wines. The electrodialysis (ED) process has been jointly developed by INRA, the French National Agronomic Research Institute, and Eurodia Industrie. Recent advances in ion exchange membrane technology have allowed the commercialization of this innovative process. ED has been recognized by the International Wine Office (OIV) as “good practice” and has been approved for commercial use by the European Union for all types of wines, including AOC wines, as well as in the USA and other countries. At the end of 2003, Eurodia has supplied over 40 plants that are successfully operated by wineries in France, Italy, Spain Australia and USA processing a total volume of 3 million hl/year. Many other wineries in many regions are considering this valuable technique worldwide.
Advantages of the Electrodialysis Wine Stabilization Process
· Rapid: ED is a one-pass, in-line process that may be performed in conjunction with bottling. The process does not require immobilization of large quantities of wine. It is performed by automatic units requiring little manpower to operate.
· Efficient: Energy costs are one fifth to one sixth of those required for refrigeration. No filtration additives or seeding materials are required.
· Accurate: The analyzer determines the treatment specific to the level of tartrates in the wine to be stabilized. The process is specific to tartrates and does not remove other molecules that precipitate during cold stabilization.
· Reliable: ED stabilizes both for potassium and calcium tartrates. The treated wine is always completely stable.
· Non-detrimental to the sensory qualities of the wine: There are no temperature changes or additives. The process does not significantly alter the wine characteristics and has no negative effect on the taste, bouquet, and color of the wine.
· Frugal: No wine is lost during the process.
· Compact: The ED is small, quiet, as well as non-intrusive to other winery operations and can be installed on mobile units to provide service from vineyard to vineyar
The traditional methods for tartrate stabilization involve refrigeration or the use of chemical additives. These are:
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Time consuming: Cold Stabilization can require several days.
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Expensive: The energy requires to chill wine is costly.
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Unpredictable: Cold Stabilization precipitates may contain material other than tartrates.
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Unreliable: Cold Stabilization does not always guarantee wine stability
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Potentially detrimental to the sensory qualities of the wine.
Costs Savings
Tartrate stabilization by ED provides significant energy cost savings over the conventional refrigeration processes. No wine is lost and only tatrates are removed. Wastes are reduced, as one membrane cleaning per cycle (12 hours) is required, and only 5 to 15 liters of water are consumed for each 100 liters of wine stabilized. With ED, it is possible to reduce the cost of stabilization by as much as 30 to 40 % below that of cold stabilization, depending on the size of the unit and the degree of utilization. An estimate of the total operating cost for an ED unit with a throughput of 90 hl/hour is approximately 1¢ per bottle. It is also possible to offer on-site treatment services with mobile units.
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Dependable Operation
Average production rates for tartrate stabilization by ED are roughly 100 l/h/m2 of effective cell area. Improved membrane life has been achieved by the development of new fouling-resistant membranes and through an automated program of periodical rinsing and cleaning. Commercial experience with wines from a variety of regions has shown that stability is usually achieved by a conductivity reduction between 5 and 25 %. Practically, the guarantees are based on an average reduction of 20 % at 20ºC. History and repeated trials have shown that wines that were stabilized by ED remain stable. More importantly, comparative sensory analyses of wines treated by ED and cold stabilization showed no significant differences. In some cases, the wines stabilized by ED showed noticeable quality improvements.
For specific information, please contact our Venelles office (refer to the “contact us” section)
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