Category: Winery Info

 By: Alyssa L. Ochs

  This year, the sparkling wine market reached a value of $33.9 billion, and we aren’t expecting this trend to slow down anytime soon. In fact, analysts have projected that this market will grow by about 14 percent annually and reach at least $51.7 billion by 2027. All of these facts and figures may not mean much to the average consumer. But for sparkling wine producers and companies that serve their supply, distribution and marketing needs, this level of growth demands attention.

  With its fizzy effect and upscale reputation, sparkling wine has been making its move from purely celebratory to refreshingly mainstream. No longer is sparkling wine reserved only for luxury events and special occasions. These days, sparkling winemakers are expanding their customer base and introducing refreshingly new and accessible ways to enjoy this beverage any day. Meanwhile, more global demand for this style of wine is creating a greater need for services in this industry and opportunities for more innovation than ever before.

What Is Sparkling Wine?

  Sparkling wine is a carbonated, fermented alcoholic beverage made from grapes or other fruits. It is unique because it contains high amounts of carbon dioxide, which creates a frothy mouthfeel and fizzy texture. Although many people commonly refer to all sparkling wine as Champagne, authentic Champagne only comes from the Champagne geographic region in France.

  Various types of sparkling wine exist today at a wide range of price points. These include red, rose and white sparkling wines, as well as regionally specific products like Champagne from France, Cava from Spain and Prosecco from Italy. Sparkling wines can be very dry, known as brut, or extra dry, which is sweeter than brut. Sec is another sparkling wine designation that is sweeter than extra dry, while demi-sec is very sweet and often served as a dessert wine.

  Some key players in the sparkling wine industry are Bronco Wine Co., Constellation Brands and the E & J Gallo Winery. Rack & Riddle Custom Wine Services is the largest custom and private label producer of Méthode Champenoise in America, producing over 700,000 cases of wine annually. The company’s Shiner Program offers five different appellations to its customers, and it has California, Central Coast, North Coast, Sonoma County and Napa programs too.

How to Make Sparkling Wine

  Winemakers create various types of sparkling wine with different methods and processes that affect the taste and quality of the wine. Méthode Champenoise is a traditional method of making sparkling wine and regarded as a high-quality and critically acclaimed means of production.

  This classic method of making sparkling wine involves adding yeast and sugar to the base wine and doing a second fermentation inside each bottle. Yeast is removed from the bottle after it is agitated for weeks and even months, which can be a time- and labor-intensive process. 

  When asked what makes Méthode Champenoise preferred over sparkling wines made in other styles, Mark Garaventa, the general manager for Rack & Riddle, said that the tiny bubbles, creamy mouthfeel and balanced fruit with acid just make you want to keep sipping.

  “Other sparkling wine styles have larger bubbles not as elegant mouthfeel,” Garaventa said. “The loss of carbonation in these other methods is much more rapid as well. Most other styles are typically sweeter and don’t use traditional fruit varieties like chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier.”

  Another method of making sparkling wine is the Charmant (or tank) method, which takes care of the second fermentation while the wine is in a large tank rather than in individual bottles. This process is more cost-effective for producers and something often reflected in the price tag of sparkling wines.

  The transfer method of making sparkling wine is similar to the traditional method but differs in the fact that the wines don’t need to be riddled and disgorged in the same way. Alternatively, bottles of wine are emptied into pressurized tanks, sent through pressurized filters to remove dead yeast and then rebottled.

  There is also the ancestral method of making sparkling wine that involves using very cold temperatures to strategically stop the fermentation process for a period of time before bottling and resuming fermentation in the bottle. It is one of the oldest ways to make sparkling wine, hence the name, “ancestral.” Meanwhile, winemakers use the carbonation method to carbonate still wines in a pressurized tank and the continuous method to continually add yeast into pressurized tanks while increasing the total pressure.

Unique Challenges of Sparkling Wine

  Although sparkling wine is still wine, by definition, there are distinct differences and unique challenges that come with making this type of craft beverage. These differences extend to wine ingredients, production, bottling, marketing and more.

  Garaventa from Rack & Riddle said that sparkling wine is much more labor-intensive than still wine and that there are more steps to the process. He also said sparkling wine requires more time on the lees due to the secondary fermentation in the bottle and the aging of the wines for 12 to 24 months in bottles until they are available for sale. Garaventa also noted that it is necessary to have winemakers and staff specifically trained and experienced in sparkling wine.

  “Most winemaking programs are not geared to the sparkling process,” Garaventa said. “Supplies are completely different and not as readily available at competitive pricing for low volumes, so economy of scale is important.”

Services Available for the Sparkling Wine Industry

  Fortunately, some companies specialize in the products and services that sparkling wine producers need to refine their craft and expand their operations to meet demand. For example, Rack & Riddle offers guidance through the custom crush grape-to-bottle process. This includes crushing, lab work, storage in barrels or tanks, tirage bottling, aging, disgorging, corking, foiling, caging, labeling, packing and palletizing wines for pickup. The company also offers base-to-bottle services, in which customers provide the base wine, and then Rack & Riddle develops a sparkling wine out of it. Rack & Riddle operates facilities in Healdsburg and Alexander Valley, California.

  “Within our Shiner Program, we supply everything, enabling the customer to take advantage of our scale, from a pricing perspective, therefore obtaining a high-quality wine at a very competitive price,” Garaventa said. “We have long-standing relationships with the growers and have selected only the best fruit sources to produce the very best quality Méthode Champenoise product. We can also provide grape-to-bottle or base-to-bottle programs for sparkling wines as well.”

Recent Innovations in Sparkling Wine

  With recent growth comes more demand for improvement and innovation in the sparkling wine industry. Europe and the United States are the top markets for sparkling wine, especially now that deseasonalized consumption is driving more sales and making sparkling wine more common at casual gatherings and quiet nights at home. From the consumption side, sparkling wine is increasingly served with appetizers and as an ingredient in cocktails.

  “Within the traditional method, we offer low-alcohol and organic wines,” said Garaventa from Rack & Riddle. “Within other sparkling methods, cans are becoming available and also flavored sparkling wines.”

  Some sparkling wine producers use closures that allow bars, restaurants, and individual consumers to securely lock and preserve partially consumed bottles of sparkling wine. To accommodate industry growth, vineyard robots can mechanize the process of making sparkling wine and increase production capabilities. For example, robots can optimize working time during labor shortages for harvesting and other jobs that traditionally require a tractor and driver.

  Winemakers are becoming increasingly interested in the sustainable production of sparkling wine by using organic techniques and eco-friendly strategies. Meanwhile, researchers have been looking into how to quicken yeast autolysis to create high-quality sparkling wines in less time.

The Future of Sparkling Wine

  Like the entire craft beverage market as a whole, the sparkling wine industry felt the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. However, sales rebounded in 2021 when consumers finally felt safe to get together in groups again and celebrate life in a renewed way. More and more consumers are also purchasing sparkling wine to drink at home, rather than just saving the beverage for New Year’s Eve toasts and special occasions.

  Although Champagne has traditionally been the preferred sparkling wine for festivities, consumers are now interested in learning about other styles of this beverage. So, they may choose crémant, prosecco or cava instead Champagne when there is something to celebrate. Sparkling wine enthusiasts are known for being interested in the winemaking process and understanding what goes into their favorite products. Yet there are distinct differences among budget-friendly, mid-range and top-shelf sparkling wines, offering a little something for everyone without compromising tradition. Sparkling wine companies have been marketing their products more towards the younger generation, especially Millennials, to attract a new following of sparkling wine fans.

  Clearly, there is a special place and an undeniable appeal to sparkling wine in today’s society, and we can’t wait to see what’s next for this growing industry.

By: Gerald Dlubala

It’s colorless, odorless and virtually undetectable. As a result, nitrogen is one of the most effective tools for winemakers to use as a combatant against oxidation, spoilage and bacteria growth in their wines. As a result, nitrogen can be used in multiple stages of winemaking and has become one of the best tools for winemakers to have at their disposal. The main reason? Nitrogen is inert and does not readily react with other substances around it. Because of that inertness, nitrogen is an excellent choice to help reduce or delay any damaging oxidation that might otherwise occur.

  Additionally, nitrogen is preferred for tank blanketing, equipment purging, pump and filter membrane testing, pressure transfers, must-lifting and more. It also plays an essential role in packaging stability, which is critical with the increased production of single-serve and ready-to-drink container packaging. Finally, and perhaps at its most fundamental level for a winemaker, nitrogen is an economical and valuable way to ensure a wine’s integrity and profile properties while also providing extended shelf life.

  Liquid Nitrogen (LN2) dosing is just one of the preferred uses in the winery. For preservation purposes, when LN2 is introduced seconds before sealing the filled bottle, nitrogen replaces the headspace oxygen, reducing the oxygen levels by up to 95 to 98 percent, with a 60 percent reduction in total package oxygen.

Chart Industries Inc. As Easy as Point-and-Shoot

  “Nitrogen dosing is prevalent in consumer products across the board, including the ready-to-drink and single-serve segment,” said Christina Marrick, the business development manager for nitrogen dosing systems for Chart Industries Inc. “Wineries now have more packaging options, and whether they are filling glass bottles or aluminum cans, LN2 dosing is beneficial, especially if using screw cap enclosures. Bottles sealed with screw caps contain more head space and oxygen than those with a cork inserted. Dosing with LN2 removes roughly 98 percent of the headspace oxygen, leaving little room for any oxidation.”

  “Additionally, LN2 dosing pressurizes the container being filled and sealed,” said Marrick. “When dosed, one-part LN2 warms and expands into 700 parts gaseous nitrogen at ambient temperature. That vaporization process adds pressure to the sealed container, providing rigidity to the walls of the filled container and increasing package stability. That increase in structural integrity allows wineries to use lighter containers with up to a nine-gram reduction in average bottle weight. Applied to the production of an average production line, this equates to about 2.6 million in annual savings.”

  Marrick tells The Grapevine Magazine that Chart’s LN2 dosing equipment allows for simple, easy-to-use point-and-shoot operation.

  “Using LN2 dosing equipment is really pretty simple,” said Marrick. “Our dosers are set once for the application needed and use sensors to pick up the incoming containers. Once they sense the incoming container, the automated dosers dispense a precisely measured amount of LN2 into the container after filling but immediately before being sealed. The trapped LN2 immediately vaporizes, forcing oxygen out of the container while simultaneously creating pressure and adding rigidity to the container. The dosers are modified for different products and containers through adjustment of dosing times or by using different-sized nozzles. Dosing equipment is installed and used in-line, but on casters, that can be easily moved or relocated for use wherever and whenever needed.”

  Chart Industries provides an entire spectrum of potential nitrogen use for wineries, from liquid bulk tank storage to specific application delivery and dosing throughout the production, filling and packaging process. They were the first to provide a complete, turnkey, LN2 dosing system, including dosers, valves, piping and phase separators on through to handling your bulk storage solutions, offering a full line of tanks ranging from portable dewars to the most extensive bulk tank storage options. Their standard cryogenic tank is an industry workhorse, able to be customized to a winery’s specific needs. The tanks can be installed in horizontal or vertical configurations and feature a proprietary insulation system, resulting in a lightweight tank with high thermal performance and extended hold times while offering reduced operational and installation costs.

Vacuum Barrier Corporation Dosing to Meet Your Needs

  Vacuum Barrier Corporation (VBC) is a global leader in cryogenics, designing, engineering and fabricating liquid nitrogen (LN2) dosing and piping systems. Lisa Angelini, the marketing manager for VBC, tells The Grapevine Magazine that LN2 dosing systems address the oxidation challenges winemakers have during the packaging process.

  “Liquid nitrogen dosing is used pre-filling, as a way to purge oxygen from the empty bottle, or post-filling to remove the oxygen that occupies the headspace, and in some cases,” said Angelini, “winemakers use it in both locations. By using LN2 dosing to flush oxygen out of the bottle, you’re preserving the wine’s intended flavor and bouquet while simultaneously extending shelf life. Additionally, winemakers can reduce, rather than eliminate, oxygen to give them added control.”

  The growing demand for single-serve and ready-to-drink options makes the structural integrity of packaging and extended shelf life an increasingly important part of wine packaging and distribution. A consumer only has to browse the shelves at a favorite retailer to notice the market shift.

  “The acceptance of canned wine has opened another door to VBC’s LN2 dosing systems within the industry,” said Angelini. “The same LN2 dosing system that the winemaker uses to reduce oxygen in their wines provides packaging stability and integrity. By adding a precisely measured dose of LN2 to the can of non- or lightly carbonated wine, you’re providing the needed pressure to provide structural support in the packaging, reducing transportation and handling damage due to crushed cans.”

  For over 60 years, Vacuum Barrier Corporation serves numerous industries, including food and beverage, beer, wine, coffee, cannabis and more. They are committed to delivering safe, defect-free, custom or standard LN2 solutions for your unique application needs.

Production Needs and Intended Use Determines Nitrogen Storage Choice

  Bulk storage vessels and accompanying equipment are equally crucial in using nitrogen and must be appropriately sized and fitted to each winery’s consumption needs. You don’t want your nitrogen supplier to deliver to you more than once a week, so a correctly sized nitrogen storage, delivery and dosage system must be designed to meet that goal. Bulk storage vessels are generally available in two forms, larger bulk tanks and smaller portable tanks called dewars, featuring double-walled construction with a vacuum space between the two walls. That vacuum space allows the tank’s outer surface to remain at ambient temperatures while the inner area can contain and hold the proper cryogenic temperatures. Affected piping systems should be similarly insulated and use the same double-walled, vacuum-spaced design to maintain efficiency. The larger bulk tank installations are predominantly located outside the production structure, while the smaller, portable-style storage units are kept inside the winery, closer to where they are needed.

  Alternatively, on-premises nitrogen generators offer on-demand nitrogen when needed. Connecticut-based On Site Gas Systems offers precision-engineered nitrogen and oxygen generators across numerous industries. The company notes that although costs associated with setting up a generator on site are higher initially than other options, their long-lasting nitrogen generators typically recover those initial costs many times over in the long run. An on-site generation source simplifies business and increases workplace safety for wineries currently using nitrogen in their winemaking process or looking into the prospect of nitrogen use. Wineries with nitrogen generators on-site can expect to save between 40 to 80 percent compared to the costs of delivered nitrogen, depending on price fluctuations. Additionally, when sustainability is at the forefront of every decision, eliminating the need for diesel delivery trucks helps to reduce your winery’s overall carbon footprint.

  How a winemaker ultimately chooses to obtain and access a nitrogen supply is a decision that is unique to each winery and generally dependent on specific qualifiers, such as the size of the winery, production numbers, the amount of nitrogen the winemaker will use, expected cost and return on investment offered by the different choices.

  For example, The Cave Vineyard and Distillery, located in historic St Genevieve, Missouri, runs a 20,000-bottle-a-year operation and does not offer single-serve options. Even though they would like to have their nitrogen source on-site someday, their current production and packaging operations don’t warrant the expense. Instead, like many smaller wineries, they use portable dewars for their nitrogen source. With four dewars on the premises at all times, they use two for purging empty bottles and clearing headspaces of oxygen before sealing. The remaining dewars are used as additional storage to prevent the winery from running out.

  Alternatively, the award-winning Augusta Winery in Augusta, Missouri uses nitrogen in all phases of its winemaking and has its own nitrogen generation system on-site to produce nitrogen on demand. While admittedly being costly upfront, the winery says the system paid for itself within three years. Their expanded nitrogen use, including running nitrogen in all related lines to reduce the oxygenation that occurs during routine and standard liquid transfers, helps keep the harmful effects of oxygenation out of their wines at every phase of production, movement, filling and packaging.

Safety Is Always Key

  Safety precautions in a production setting are always the primary priority, and the use and handling of LN2 are no different. Nitrogen displaces oxygen-rich air in enclosed spaces, so any enclosed area with a nitrogen leak can create an oxygen-depleted atmosphere. Enclosed spaces always demand specific protocols that must be respected and adhered to by any employee or contractor entering those designated spaces. Wineries and production facilities that use nitrogen in their processes should always use monitors, portable sensors and any other available means of dangerous gas detection technology designed to warn of oxygen deficiencies.

Manufacturing Tanks for Wineries to Withstand the Unpredictability of Natural Disasters and More!

By: Cheryl Gray

  Although wineries have plenty to consider when selecting the tanks that will store their wine, earthquakes are not at the top of the list for most. However, if a tank can hold its own during an act of God, there’s a good chance it offers multiple protections for a winery’s most precious commodity: wine.

  While natural disasters are out of human control, there is at least one manufacturing company touting earthquake-proof products. Enter Onguard Seismic Systems, with offices in New Zealand and Sonoma County, California. While the company has clients where earthquakes are most prone, there is also customer interest, it says, in the protection its tank equipment can offer to wineries in the Midwest and the Southern United States. According to the company, more than half of New Zealand wineries use Onguard-equipped tanks. Other global clients include those in Chile and Italy. In addition, Onguard is working to supply its first systems in Australia. Company founder and CEO, Will Lomax, explained how he believes tank safety standards have evolved.

  “The U.S. wine industry is decades old, and many tanks have been built to traditional standards with little regard to earthquake performance. Unfortunately, some tanks are still being built without adequate consideration of earthquake risk. In some areas, there is an attitude of ‘nothing can be done’ when the ‘Big One’ strikes. We have shown that something can be done, and our engineered systems have proven this in actual earthquakes.

  We provide seismic systems for tanks that include comprehensive, holistic, certified structural engineering designs and supply of our patented energy-dissipating seismic dampers. This gives our customers the ultimate peace of mind, safe in the knowledge that they are equipped with the world’s best, and earthquake-proven, means of protecting their lives and livelihoods.”

  Lomax pointed to 2016, when he said that more than 300 tanks equipped with Onguard systems survived an M7.8 earthquake in New Zealand. According to Lomax, while there was neither wine loss nor tank damage under products bearing his company’s moniker, while virtually every other tank that contained wine in New Zealand was severely compromised.  

  The outcome was far different in 2013, when Lomax watched the devastation caused by another earthquake, which prompted him to create Onguard Seismic Systems. As a structural engineer with some 30 years of experience in multiple facets of engineering, Lomax put Onguard on the frontline of protecting wineries from the catastrophic destruction of earthquakes by developing the system that thwarted disasters like the one that occurred in 2016.  

  “Onguard’s performance in this ultimate test was extremely satisfying, as was my appointment as the trusted advisor to the New Zealand government to lead the engineering recovery in time for the 2017 harvest. The wine industry prevailed, thanks in no small part to Onguard.”

  In California, where earthquakes are more common than in other parts of the United States, wineries are turning to companies like Onguard for tanks and tank equipment that can protect for the long-run. Among them is Vintage Wine Estates, a multi-million-dollar portfolio of wineries stretching from California to the Pacific Northwest. Rick Hughes, capital projects and facilities manager for Vintage Wine Estates, said that he witnessed the earthquake destruction in New Zealand, and his company has safeguards in place.

  “We have 2.8 million gallons of cooperage anchored with Onguard Seismic Systems. Seismic anchor systems are a code requirement in our seismic zone 7. Unfortunately, most all anchor systems are just that; they anchor the tank to a structural system, but do not help in a seismic event. Not only will the Onguard system effectively work in a seismic event, but the benefit is also the sustainability of the anchor. Simply reinstalling the inside of the anchor that took the brunt of the event allows the system to be up and functioning with little effort or capital.”

  Experts agree that knowing what to look for before buying tanks and tank-related equipment can avert headaches later. Lomax had some pointers.

  “Make absolutely clear that you require a complete, stamped structural design of the tank system: tank, anchorage, foundation and connected infrastructure (catwalks and services) that meets the requirements of the building code. This will ensure earthquake resilience, avoid the need for any improvements in the future and will ultimately help you sleep at night.

  We have personal experience helping wineries recover from the effects of earthquakes; the consequences are far-reaching, often unforeseen and can be devastating to your business and – worse still – your people.”

  Experts, including Lomax, understand the importance of strong building codes when considering the strength of wine tanks.

  “The current design codes in the U.S. are very specific and demand energy dissipation through ductile yielding of tank anchors – a well-founded earthquake engineering approach that is intended to offer solid protection to the tanks. Onguard is the only anchoring system that complies with this, but sadly these requirements are often overlooked or ignored. One of our missions is to generate awareness of these conditions with customers, partners and local jurisdictions.”

  There are changes at the city and county levels when it comes to enacting regulations designed to promote tank safety. Lomax provided an example.

  “Thankfully, cities and counties are becoming more aware of the risk that earthquakes pose to wine tanks and the need to mitigate this risk and are tackling this head-on. For example, tanks now face far more scrutiny in the permitting process, and we’re currently mid-way through a complete retrofit project for an entire winery in Napa County that was mandated by the county itself.”

  Lomax wants the Onguard system to become the industry standard in the U.S. and is working toward that goal, one, he adds, that has already been achieved in New Zealand.

  “The additional investment needed is minimal, if any at all, and we can often offer savings against traditional designs. We also retrofit existing tanks and on our travels are introduced to multiple tanks at multiple facilities which are clearly prone – to varying degrees – to earthquake damage. Having grown up in wine, we know the industry inside-out and have seen first-hand the consequences of living with earthquake risk and the many different types of tank failure and remediation. We’re the world leaders in this space, and our clients trust us to advise them on the levels of risk and, if necessary, work with them on a targeted program of improvement. The end result is always an earthquake-engineered, earthquake-ready facility that is as safe as possible to work in.”

  Another natural disaster that threatens wineries comes in the form of wildfires, particularly in California and other areas with severe drought conditions. National Storage Tank, Inc., headquartered in Santa Rosa, California, provides customers the option of having an on-site, dedicated fire protection water tank to protect wineries and vineyards. The company says the tanks are configured with a small footprint but have enough storage capacity to become a viable part of any vineyard or winery fire protection plan. National Tank Storage also provides wineries with stainless steel tanks for storing, mixing or fermenting wines with capacities of up to 650,000 gallons. Additionally, it offers wastewater and chemical treatment tanks, all designed to handle specific jobs in accordance with environmental regulatory requirements.

  On a relative scale, the day-to-day operations of maintaining safety standards for the tanks and tank equipment used in winemaking are as important as those that guard against natural disasters. Problems that may compromise the taste and quality of a wine are solved in part by choosing the right kind of tanks and equipment for the wine being produced. 

  California’s Rack and Riddle Custom Wine Services in Sonoma County provides a full range of wine production services for its clients. The company also produces its own brand of sparkling wine. Rack and Riddle deploys an old-world technique known in the industry as Méthode Champenoise to produce its signature product. This traditional French method of making sparkling wine requires the wine to go through a secondary fermentation in the bottle, which demands additional time, labor and equipment, including special tanks.

  Award-winning winemaking consultant Penelope Gadd-Coster, executive director of winemaking at Rack and Riddle, explains the variety of tanks and tank equipment needed for Rack and Riddle to produce a vast array of wines.

  “We use a mix of manufacturers for our stainless tanks that range in size of 1,000 gallons to 100,000 gallons. Since we specialize in sparkling wines, the tanks need cooling jackets, generally dimpled jackets. They are used for all parts of the process, from settling to pre-bottling. Stainless-steel is fairly easy to maintain.”

  While tank and tank equipment needs may vary, one thing experts make clear: Choosing the right products can protect against a natural disaster while at the same time averting potential day-to-day threats to quality control.

Olde Tradition Spice Helps Wineries Create New Flavors and New Sales

Wine pairing usually means matching a wine to a particular food to enhance the enjoyment of both. Wineries are now discovering another kind of pairing. With the addition of traditional mulling spices sold in packages or given away free as samples hung on the wine bottle’s neck, inventive tasting rooms are introducing clients to mulled wine, increasing sales and engendering customer loyalty. 

Mulled wine is an old practice. Spices were found in a recently unearthed Egyptian wine jar dating from 5100 B.C. and even the Bible mentions ‘spiced wine.” And perhaps confirming what ancient people knew, recent scientific studies have shown that the spices used in mulling, which include cinnamon and cloves, may have significant health benefits for many individuals.

Michigan’s longest operating winery, 101-year-old, St. Julian Winery is continuing the mulled wine practice by adding Olde Tradition Spice mulling spices to their already spiced Head Games grape and apple wines, their red wines, and their hard ciders for tasting room visitors to try. 

Szakaly says St. Julian has about 100 different beverage products and the mulling spices work with most of the red wines, whether sweet or dry. Because the winery also operates as a distillery, the product goes well with bourbon, rum, vodka, and, in particular, a cherry brandy they offer.

“You can serve mulled wine chilled in summer and warm in winter,” says Joel Szakaly, St. Julian’s Vice President – DTC. “Employees in our six locations take it upon themselves to come up a creative new concoction of the day where they highlight a different mulled wine.”

“We have a loyal wine club and they come in regularly. During the fall or winter months, they are asking what new mulled wine we have in the crock pot,” he adds.

St. Julian’s has also sold boxes as part of a kit which included a sweet red wine and a six-pack of hard cider. The kit was sold across the county as well in the tasting rooms.

Olde Tradition Spice gives wineries the option of branding the mulling spices under their own names, something Szakaly is exploring for next year. In the meantime, St. Julian has taken advantage of using neck hangers of a single-serve bag of mulled spices from Olde Tradition Spice on bottles of wine to introduce the product to the customers.

“Olde Tradition Spice sends us recipe cards. The customers love getting those and seeing the endless possibilities of cocktails they can make using those spices. They buy a bunch of boxes [of the mulling spices] from us and use them all winter long.” 

Unlike other alternatives on the market today, Olde Tradition Spice uses only high-quality spices, with no sugar or preservatives added. The spices are carefully formulated to deliver flavorful consistent results and are available as single serve individually wrapped tea bags as well as industrial sized packages.

“A lot of people aren’t too sure what it is, or what it tastes like, but once they try it, Szakaly says, “they love it, and they keep coming back for more. All we hear about is how great mulling spices are and how much it enhances a wine.”

For more information or to order mulled spices, visit www.buymullingspices.com or call 1-800-977-1117.

By: Tom Payette, Winemaking Consultant

Testing Volatile Acidity

Volatile acidity, vinegar production, is an important measurement to obtain when making wine.  Wine is a perishable product, from a perishable fruit (notably grapes) for our purpose.  Getting early measurements of volatile acidity on the fruit is essential to help measure the “chemical condition” of the fruit and how one may care to handle that fruit moving forward in the winemaking process.  It is also useful when negotiating with the fruit producer if the grower does not recognize substandard quality.  Measuring the volatile acidity regularly as a systematic process during wine aging is important.  The test will confirm the wines are aging well and developing properly.

  The cash still is a great tool to measure volatile acidity chemically.  There are other ways to measure volatile acidity and many are potentially just as accurate; however, this article will focus be on the cash still and how to operate the unit.

Background

  Volatile acidity is a chemical data reading from a raw material fruit or juice to measure the degradation of that fruit toward the unwanted production of vinegar.  The cash still will drive off volatile acidity from a wine or juice sample using heat and then recondensing the Volatile Acidity (an acid) into a collection flask.  This will be titrated with weak solution of Sodium Hydroxide (a base).  This is a simple explanation of what is actually happening.

Tools and Chemicals

•    Cash still unit or equivalent with stand.

•    Distilled water (pre-boiled and cooled for safe use).

•    Small mouth 250 milliliter Erlenmeyer flask.

•    0.1 normal sodium hydroxide, or approximate, standardized for accuracy.

•    25 milliliter Class A volumetric burette with definitive sub markings.

•    Source of cold water and a sink for the exiting condenser chilling water.

•    110 volt outlet.

•    Phenolphthalein and white backdrop to see the color change in the flask.

•    10 milliliter pipette – class A Volumetric.

Mixing and Standardizing Chemicals

  Always wear safety equipment when operating this unit.  Eye protection is very important.

1.   Pre-boiled distilled water – The night before using the cash still one should boil the distilled water to drive off the Carbon Dioxide and allow it to cool.

2.   Purchase or mix a 0.10 Normal Sodium Hydroxide solution and standardize the solution each time you use this test.

Procedure

1.  Make sure the apparatus is assembled properly, there are no leaks at the joints, and connections are secure when the unit is in operation.

2.  Always make certain water is in the heating chamber, to the proper level, before engaging the heating element.

3.  Turn on the water source to the condenser.

4.  Rinse the complete units’s interior with distilled water and evacuate any residuals from the interior boiling chamber leaving it empty and ready for a wine or juice sample.

5.  Make sure the chemicals and reagents are mixed properly, strengths known and ready for use.

6.  Collect a representative sample of wine or juice from a vessel in the cellar.

7.  Check the sample for exogenous amounts of carbon dioxide.  If the wine is not still – pull a slight vacuum on the sample or lightly heat, driving off the carbon dioxide and then cool to laboratory temp (68 degrees F.)  Do use caution not to reduce the amount of volatile acidity with these actions as a false reading will occur.

8.  Once the sample is ready, make sure the receiving stopcock on the cash still is positioned so the sample will go into the interior-boiling chamber.

9.  Pipette with a class A volumetric pipette, or equivalent, 10 milliliters of the wine/juice sample and deliver it into the interior boiling chamber.  Rinse any portion of wine/juice into the bowling chamber from the funnel with pre-boiled and cooled distilled water.  Do not rinse out the volumetric pipette as they are made “to deliver”.

10.      Close the stopcock to trap all inside the unit.

11.      Place a collection flask under the condenser where distillate will be discharged from the unit during operation.  Use a small-mouthed Erlenmeyer flask and make sure the connection is closed but loose.  This is to limit the possibility that some of the collected sample would revolatilize and evaporate out of the collection flask.  Example:  Make sure the distillate is not falling into the collection flask and rather the distillate spout protrudes into the flask.

12.      Turn the power to the unit on and boiling will soon begin.

13.      Double check that cold water is flowing through the condenser

14.      Watch the unit and the collection process.

15.      When approximately 100 mils of distillate has been collected in the receiving flask – turn the power to the unit off.

16.      Remove the collection flask with the distillate collected as soon as possible.

17.      Add three drops of phenolphthalein to the distillate and swirl.

18.      Record the starting volume of sodium hydroxide in the burette

19.      Immediately start titrating the sample with the 0.1 normal sodium hydroxide.  Titrate until a very light pink is achieved that will last for 45 seconds or more.  This part takes practice and lab experience.

20.      Record the ending volume of sodium hydroxide in the burette to achieve the total amount used for the titration.  This will be used later in the calculation.

21.      Open the stopcock on the Cash Still to evacuate the remains of the sample tested from the interior boiling chamber.  (Some units do not have this capacity – please disregard this step and perform the same function in another fashion if the unit in your lab is not equipped with this function.)

22.      Rinse the inner chamber twice with copious amounts of distilled water (two twenty milliliter rinses) and evacuate both rinses residues.

23.      Turn the upper stopcock to readjust the distilled water in the exterior bowl as much water will have been lost during the last test. [Keep in mind we tested a 10 milliliter sample and collected 100 milliliters]

24.      Make sure to close the stopcock to stop the evacuation of the inner bowl and start the process for another test.  Repeat starting with step 8 above.

25.      Turning our attention back to the previous test results and data gathered above.

Calculations

  The formula used to calculate the results from the process is as follows:

Volatile Acidity:

 (VA g/l) =  (Mils of NaOH) * (Normality of NaOH) * (0.06) (1000

10 milliliters of wine / juice

  The results are expressed in grams per liter.

  Below are potential sources of error not stated above:

  Be sure to drive off any carbon dioxide in the wine sample. This may actually change the volume of your sample as well and add condensed carbonic acid to your collection flask giving false readings on the high side.

  Use boiled distilled water in the outer boiling chamber to avoid dissolved carbon dioxide in the water giving false results to the test. (carbonic acid would take more sodium hydroxide to negate the carbonic acid therefore giving a potentially false high to the volatile acidity measurement.)

  Sorbic acid (potassium sorbate) in a wine may give erroneous measurements of the volatile acidity and may need a correction.  [1 gram of sorbic acid is equal to 0.54 grams of acidic acid.]

  Run a blank on some boiled distilled water and subtract that reading from your sample.  Or run a blank on a 12.5 percent alcohol / boiled distilled water mix.  Usually this blank will take 0.2 mils of 0.1 normal NaOH and this number can be subtracted from all future burette readings.

  Calibrate the strength of your sodium hydroxide.  This is the most important chemical known in this equation.  For further accuracy use a 10 milliliter burette in place of the 25 milliliter burette recommended above.

  This test is not correcting for sulfur dioxide in the wine.  In most cases, with today’s lower sulfur dioxide winemaking, this is not necessary to correct.

  To make the operation of the unit easier – one may adapt a way to fill the exterior bowling chamber, with pre-boiled distilled water, by having a source above the unit and a pinch clamp to fill the bowl when needed.

Cleaning the Unit

Over time, one will notice a brown deposit dirt developing on the inner chamber of the unit.  This is unsightly and may cause inefficiency to the unit.  These steps below can help remove these deposits and keeps the unit sparkling clean for better use and for tourist viewing into the laboratory.

Please wear proper safety goggles and equipment while performing this operation, too!

1.  Place 20 milliliters of 2.0 normal NaOH into the interior boiling flask and add 2 drops of dish detergent.  Rinse residues into inner chamber.

2.  Plug in the unit to boil and allow to boil.

3.  Place a collection flask at the outlet to collect the cleaning distillate.  Do not breathe the gas and use in a well-ventilated lab.

4.  One should notice a sloughing/bubbling of the dirt off the inner chamber.

5.  After the dirt is removed, open the stopcock to evacuate the internal boiling chamber.

6.  Rinse with copious amounts of distilled water to remove all soap and sodium hydroxide by repeated rinsing.

7.  When running the first VA after cleaning note that the results may be “off” and be ready to run the sample a second time if the data seems to be in error from previous lab results.

  One may also notice a mineral build up on the exterior of the condensing coils from the water used for cooling.  These are not cleaned by the action above.  One may clean these by removing that section (the condenser) of the apparatus and soaking in a strong base over a weekend or several days.  Inspect the unit after soaking and rinse both the inner portion and exterior portions with copious amounts of water or potentially a very light citric acid and water mix.  Once again be prepared to disregard any data from the next analysis run since it may be skewed from cleaning chemical residuals.

By: Becky Garrison  

During the Oregon Wine Symposium, held virtually from February 15-17, 2022, two sessions on the role of oxygen in winemaking. Following is a summary of some of these key findings.

  In explaining the role of oxygen, Dr. Gavin Sacks, professor and associate chair of food science at Cornell University, broke down how wineries utilize oxygen pre-fermentation, during fermentation and post-fermentation. When handling must and juices pre-fermentation, winemakers use the terms hyperreductive, reductive, oxidative and hyperoxidative. As these terms do not have rigorous regulatory definitions, winemakers use these terms in different ways. Generally, those winemakers, who talk about reductive versus oxidative, add sulfur dioxide in reductive winemaking, but they won’t add it in oxidative winemaking. Hyperreductive means that not only will sulfur dioxide be added, but there will also be an effort to minimize air contact pre-fermentation. Conversely, hyperoxidative means that while sulfur dioxide is not added, air is intentionally added.

  Under these conditions where one is using fresh must with no sulfur dioxide present, Sacks notes that the main route by which oxygen is consumed or reacts is going to be enzymatic enzymes either from the grape or enzymes from spoilage organisms like detritus. The reactions are classified under the generic term polyphenol oxidases. In the presence of oxygen, they will get converted into oxidized forms called quinones. As quinones are pretty short-lived, they will only form following mechanical damage, such as crushing and pressing fruit.

  According to Dr. Sacks, the most common way to slow down this enzymatic browning in a winery involves using antioxidants such as sulfur dioxide. These antioxidants will react with the quinones, but even more importantly, they will deactivate enzymes but is less effective on laccase found in molds. Other effective options are ascorbic acid and glutathione, which are in grapes and yeast (lees), as well as slowing it down to cooling. In addition, charcoal and bentonite can be used to bind to and remove some of the browning products and inactivate enzymes. Also, hyperoxidation followed by the brown product via flotation or filtration tends to decrease the browning potential of that eventual wine.

  Pre-fermentation oxygen exposure might not have a major effect, especially with aroma compounds, as most aroma compounds found in finished wine are not present in the juice or the must. Instead, they exist in precursor form or are produced de novo by the spore bylactic bacteria.

  In Dr. Sack’s estimation, oxidation matters much less than just letting the fruit sit around before fermenting. “This allows time for the glutathione 3-MH precursors to form. The resulting wine will have more intense aromas.”

  During fermentation, oxygen consumption continues to be relatively rapid due to the formation of carbon dioxide and the yeast utilizing oxygen enzymatically. Yeast cells have cell membranes composed of phospholipids, which have fatty acids. The yeast will try to modify these fatty acids in response to their environment. For example, under colder temperatures, yeast will increase the concentration of unsaturated fatty acids, thus increasing the need for oxygen.

  Post-fermentation, Sacks recommends looking at the oxygen consumption rate. Fresh must in actively fermenting wine is consuming oxygen at a rate of a few milligrams per liter per minute. In comparison, in post-fermentation, it’s down to one milligram per liter as non-enzymatic oxidation goes much more slowly. The main effects of oxygen on finished wine are attributed to microbial growth due to the presence of oxygen. This can result in an off flavor and haze formation, along with possible regulatory issues.

Chemical Changes in Wine Due to Oxidation

  Sacks refers to the main pathway for wine with little or no oxidation as the iron phenolic pathway because it involves oxygen, iron and diophenol. “The difference here is instead of having an enzymatic catalyst (TPO), now we’ve gotten iron as a catalyst,” he states.

  As the reaction proceeds, it will form an oxidized diophenol, just like when must is oxidized pre-fermentation. However, the big difference is that this also makes hydrogen peroxide. These two compounds are highly reactive and can result in the loss of sulfidryls (tannin reactions).

  Hydrogen peroxide will react with iron to generate hydroxyl free radicals. And then those hydroxyl radicals can direct indiscriminately with wind components to generate compounds like aldehydes, including acid aldehyde by oxidation ethanol. These compounds result in the oxidized smell of wine, such as acid aldehyde, which smells like bruised apples, cherry, walnut, baked potatoes or soy sauce. Also, hydrogen peroxide produces browning particles.

  One way some winemakers intentionally oxidize their wines is through Micro-oxygenation (Micro-ox), which is the treatment of wine with well-controlled small doses of oxygen over a short period of time. This will result in compounds that are referred to as wine pigments. They’re less bleachable by sulfur dioxide and not as prone to hydrolysis, so they’re more stable in a wine environment. Also, they’re the major contributors to the color of aged wines. Dr. Sacks referenced several experiments showing that if Micro-ox is done at roughly the same concentrations as an air saturation offering of six to nine milliliters per liter (milligrams per liter per month), this could have modest effects by increasing in the color intensity and wine pigment and slightly decrease astringency.

  Also, when sulfur dioxide is added to a wine, a portion will stay free, but a portion will also form strong chemical bonds with other components in wine,  referred to as binders. They act as a reducing agent to prevent oxidized changes or chemical oxidation from happening to the wine.

  In a research study exploring assessing the impact of free and total sulfur dioxide in bagged wine, Sacks observed that when they measured dissolved oxygen in these wines, it was always almost always near zero and undetectable. “So, oxygen is getting in, but it’s being consumed by the wine, but it’s also happening relatively fast with all the SO₂ being consumed in a year.”

How to Control Redox Potential Using Air During Fermentation

  Roger Boulton, a consultant for RB Boulton Inc. and emeritus professor of enology and chemical engineering at UC Davis, offered an in-depth analysis of the redox potential (reduction-oxidation potential) by first noting that dissolved oxygen in wine cannot and does not oxidize anything until it gets activated by components in solution (iron and copper tartrate complexes), temperature or light. Once activated, hydrogen peroxide is produced, which in turn causes a rapid rise in the redox potential of the juice or wine. Secondly, there is no relationship between dissolved oxygen level and redox potential. As might be expected, this is a major cause of confusion when winemakers and others talk about winemaking practices, oxygen exposure or oxidation of the wine.

  Once the fermentation begins and even before the yeast begins to grow, one of the components they secrete to control the redox potential around them is glutathione. As they do this, the redox potential declines. The decline in the potential will continue until yeast growth has ceased, typically at the point of the maximum fermentation rate. The higher the fermentation temperature, the faster the onset of fermentation and the quicker the decline in redox potential occurs.

  Introducing a small amount of air (resulting in less than one mg/L of dissolved oxygen) enables this amount of oxygen to be activated. This generates a burst of hydrogen peroxide that causes the redox potential to increase, usually by about 100 mV, over a period of approximately 30 minutes. Due to the reaction between peroxide and glutathione, the redox potential declines again, usually over the next few hours. The pattern is repeated if the air is added again, but this cannot begin until the redox potential has returned to a stationary value. The addition of dissolved oxygen at higher concentrations has no further effect. This is why controlling redox potential during fermentation is very different from simply controlling air addition or establishing a certain level of dissolved oxygen. Once yeast growth has ceased, there is no need to keep adding periodic amounts of air. And the redox potential will slowly return to its final level at the end of the fermentation.

  The motivation for controlling the redox potential during wine fermentation is to prevent the formation of hydrogen sulfide and other alkyl thiols and ethyl thioesters. If elemental sulfur is present as a residual from vineyard applications, it will produce small amounts of hydrogen sulfide when the redox potential is at low levels. Many juices can reach these levels during fermentation. The aim of controlling the redox potential during fermentation is to prevent this from happening. While the yeast creates these changes in the redox environment, it is the initial level of the potential and the sensitivity to change that is determined by the juice composition. This is why the formation of hydrogen sulfide varies so much across juices and yeast strains and why there is some confusion as to this being a property of the strain alone.

  For those looking to integrate a redox system into their own winery for fermentation control, Boulton recommends a Hamilton electrode probe ($2,000), which is the only probe he knows of currently that is food grade.

  Once fermentation has begun and significant levels of ethanol form, the addition of air and the activation of dissolved oxygen lead to the formation of a radical called the hydroxyethyl radical. The dihydroxy phenols (including tannins) do not appear to be oxidized or used during these redox-controlling reactions. Boulton notes, “In wine, it is the hydroxyethyl radical, not oxygen, that is the real villain if you wanted to talk about an oxidizing villain.” 

Oxygen in Action: Cellar Techniques

  Johnny Brose, the winemaking instructor at Chemeketa Community College and moderator of these sessions, toured several vineyards in Oregon and California to learn how these winemakers dealt with oxygen in their respective wineries. Among his key findings:

  Scott Kelley, the owner/winemaker at Paul O’Brien Winery (Roseburg, OR), uses a center stone to inject pure oxygen into his ferments.

  Ryan Rech, the senior winemaker, and Dr. Jonathan Cave, an analytical chemist for Berringer Vineyards (Helena, CA), use a low-level nitrogen pressure that prevents oxygen from coming in. All their tanks have a headspace management system that they monitor year-round.

  Ryan Hodgins, the winemaker for FEL Wines (Yountville, CA), utilizes a nitrogen generator to flush their tanks.

  Jeff Menganhaus, VP and winemaker at Williams Selyem (Healdsburg, CA), uses argon and pressurized tanks in his winemaking process.

Use of DO Meters in the Winery

  Finally, Brose demonstrated a range of DO (dissolved oxygen) meters. The first was an Electrochemical (Galvanic and Polargraphic), which is very portable and inexpensive ($500 to $2,000). This requires an electrolyte solution to be inserted into the probe and flushed and rinsed before each measurement. Low temperatures and pressure changes can lead to very inaccurate measurements. An optical DO meter is lower maintenance and offers more precise measurements. But it is relatively more expensive ($1,000 to $4,000) and requires more time to obtain accurate measurements. At the high end of the scale are OxvDot Sensors, which are typically utilized in research or large-scale production sites and are more stationary, with a price point of $20,000 or more. They provide an instant measurement of oxygen in both liquid and gas and can be read in real-time.

  In assessing when to use a DO meter, Dr. Sacks recommends focusing on the bottling and packaging process. Once the wine is off the lees, non-enzymatic chemical oxidation is the dominant route for oxygen to be consumed. A DO meter can evaluate the integrity of the tanks and the quality of transport processes to help winemakers understand where the wine is picking up oxygen, how much oxygen and then do something to address it.