Filtration[edit]

Main article: Filtration

Diatomaceous earth, often used in depth filtration

While fining clarifies wine by binding to suspended particles and precipitating out as larger particles,
filtration works by passing the wine through a filter medium that captures particles larger than the
medium's holes. Complete filtration may require a series of filtering through progressively finer filters.
Many white wines require the removal of all potentially active yeast and/or lactic acid bacteria if they
are to remain reliably stable in bottle, and this is usually now achieved by fine filtration.
Most filtration in a winery can be classified as either the coarser depth filtration or the finer surface
filtration.[4] In depth filtration, often done after fermentation, the wine is pushed through a thick layer
of pads made fromcellulose fibers, diatomaceous earth or perlite.[9] In surface filtration the wine
passes through a thin membrane. Running the wine parallel to the filter surface, known as cross-flow
filtration, will minimize the filter clogging. The finest surface filtration, microfiltration, can sterilize the
wine by trapping all yeast and, optionally, bacteria, and so is often done immediately prior to bottling.
An absolute rated filter of 0.45 m is generally considered to result in a microbially stable wine and is
accomplished by the use of membrane cartridges, most commonly polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF).
Certain red wines may be filtered to 0.65 m, to remove yeast, or to 1.0 m to remove viable
brettanomyces only.
A lot of companies at the moment use the fine clay filter aid kieselguhr, which is carcinogen, to filter
liquids destined for human consumption. The EU-Funded project Adfimax is studying a novel
vegetable fibre-based alternative which performs better and is sustainable as well. [10]

Flotation[edit]
The winemaking technique of flotation was adapted from the froth flotation process used in
the mining industry for ore refining. In this process, small bubbles of air (or compressed nitrogen) are

injected into the bottom of a tank. As the bubbles rise through the must, grape solids, including
phenolic compounds prone to oxidation and browning, will tend to cling to the bubbles, creating
a froth that can be removed from the wine. This must be done prior to fermentation, since yeast will
inhibit the flocculation involved.[1]

Stabilization[edit]

Cold stabilization causes tartrates to crystallize and precipitate out of the wine.

As a complex chemical mixture dependent on the activity of microorganisms, wine can

be unstable and reactive to changes in its environment. Once bottled, a wine may be exposed to
extremes of temperature andhumidity, as well as violent movement during transportation and
storage. These may cause cloudiness, sedimentation and/or the formation of tartrate crystals; more
seriously, they may also cause spoilage or the production of carbonic gas.

Temperature instability[edit]
Tartaric acid is the most prominent acid in wine with the majority of the concentration present
as potassium bitartrate. During fermentation, these tartrates bind with the lees, pulp debris and
precipitated tannins and pigments. While there is some variation according to grape variety and
climate, usually about half of the deposits are soluble in the wine, but on exposure to low
temperature they may crystallize out unpredictably. The crystals, though harmless, may be mistaken
for broken glass, or simply reckoned unattractive by consumers. To prevent this the wine may
undergo "cold stabilization", in which it is cooled to near its freezing point to provoke crystallization
before bottling.[11] In some white wines there are significant quantities of proteins that, being "heatunstable", will coagulate if exposed to excessively fluctuating heat; the use of fining agents such as
bentonite can prevent the haze this causes.[1]

Microbiological instability[edit]

Dead yeast cells can leave wine cloudy, while active yeast may trigger further fermentation.

A wine that has not been sterilized by filtration might well still contain live yeast cells and bacteria. If
both alcoholic and malolactic fermentation have run to completion, and neither excessive oxygen
nor Brettanomycesyeast are present, this ought to cause no problems; modern hygiene has largely
eliminated spoilage by bacteria such as acetobacter, which turns wine into vinegar. If there is
residual sugar, however, it may undergosecondary fermentation, creating dissolved carbon dioxide
as a by-product. When the wine is opened, it will be spritzy or "sparkling". In a wine intended to be
still this is regarded as a serious fault; it can even cause the bottle to explode. Similarly, a wine that
has not been put through complete malolactic fermentation may undergo it in bottle, reducing its
acidity, generating carbon dioxide, and adding a diacetyl butterscotch aroma.Brettanomyces yeasts
add 4-ethylphenol, 4-ethylguaiacol and isovaleric acid horse-sweat aromas. These phenomena may
be prevented by sterile filtration, by the addition of relatively large quantities of sulfur dioxide and
sometimes sorbic acid,[1] by mixing in alcoholic spirit to give a fortified wine of sufficient strength to kill
all yeast and bacteria, or by pasteurization.
Pasteurization gives a kosher wine of the type called mevushal, literally "cooked" or "boiled", that
can be handled by non-Jews and non-observant Jews without losing its kosher status.[12] Typically,
the wine is heated to 185F (85C) for a minute, then cooled to 122F (50C), at which temperature it
remains for up to three days, killing all yeast and bacteria. It may then be allowed to cool, or be
bottled "hot" and cooled by water sprays. Since pasteurization affects a wine's flavor and aging
potential it is not used for premium wines. A gentler procedure known as flash
pasteurization involves heating to 205F (95C) for a few seconds, followed by rapid cooling. [13]

Other methods of stabilization[edit]

Clarification tends to stabilize wine, since it removes some of the same particles that promote
instability. The gradual oxidation that occurs during barrel aging also has a naturally stabilizing effect.
[1]

Premium wine production[edit]

Some producers prefer not to thoroughly clarify and stabilize their wines, believing that the
processes involved may diminish a wine's aroma, flavor, texture, color or aging potential. Wine
experts such as Tom Stevenson note that they may improve wine quality when used with moderation
and care, or diminish it when used to excess.[3] Winemakers deliberately leave more tartrates and
phenolics in wines designed for long aging in bottle so that they are able to develop the aromatic
compounds that constitute bouquet.[2] The consumers of some wines, such as
red Bordeaux and Port, may expect to see tartrates and sediment after aging in bottle.[1]