Resources
We believe in providing our clients with the best information and resources pertaining to beverage fermentation and winemaking. Here we have information on sending and testing samples, how to take correct measurements, fermentation tips and more. Contact us today if you have any questions on [email protected]
How accurate is your sulfur dioxide testing?
Last year we reported in this journal about the work we were doing to develop test kits for sulfur dioxide (SO2) and some surprisingly high results we got for “low preservative” wines we purchased from supermarket shelves. Since then we have completed the project and now have commercially available test kits for both Free Sulfur Dioxide (F SO2) and Total Sulfur Dioxide (T SO2) for spectrophotometers and automated analysers (the latter commonly known as Discrete Analysers).
Wine Labs Continue Testing for Smoke Taint
Following the recent bushfire disaster, wine laboratories across the country have been working tirelessly to test grapes for potential smoke taint. ABC News reported on the major issue of smoke taint, mentioning Vintessential’s very own Greg Howell.
2019 Mornington Peninsula Wine Show
Last Friday, Vintessential’s Wally Ceccato was pleased to be part of the 2019 Mornington Peninsula Vignerons Wine Show in Victoria. Wally was honoured to help on the day—presenting the award for Best Pinot Gris or Pinot Grigio to the 2018 Willow Creek Pinot Gris.
WHY USE ENZYMES IN ENOLOGY?
Enzymes are an extremely important element to consider when it comes to enology. Enzymes play a crucial role in improving press yield, clarification, flotation, wine filterability, aroma and polyphenol extraction. Enzymes can even enhance aromatic expression, improve mouthfeel, contribute to protein stability and help to stabilize color. Enzymes are naturally present within all living systems—they […]
SUCCESSFUL MALOLACTIC FERMENTATION TIPS
Malolactic fermentation (MLF) can be described as the basic conversion process of malic acid to lactic acid by Oenococcus oeni bacteria. By choosing a specific strain, malolactic fermentation represents the last opportunity to reduce herbaceous notes, enhance fruit aromas, increase aromatic complexity and improve balance and structure of wine. There are often risks associated with […]
“Low preservative” wines – just how low is low?
As part of a recent project to develop a new Test Kit for the determination of Sulfur Dioxide for use with Spectrophotometer and Discrete Analysers, we tested a batch of commercially purchased wines labelled “low preservative”, so we could be sure that the Test Kits worked across the full range of sulfur dioxide levels. To our surprise, a number of these wines were not low at all! This is of concern to our industry as some consumers are very interested in and aware of the preservative levels of the foods and drinks they purchase. Is it time for the wine industry to decide what the level of sulfur dioxide should be to qualify for a “low preservative” statement?
Vintessential Orange Recognised at Business Awards
Vintessential Laboratories Orange is delighted to be the recipient of the ‘Excellence in Micro Business’ award presented by the Orange Chamber of Business at the 2019 Business Awards.
Enzymatic testing in the wine lab
Enzymatic methods in the wine laboratory are incredibly accurate, fast and safe, helping to generate important information about your wine to ensure the most informed decisions are made. Whether the methods are performed on a benchtop spectrophotometer or an automatic analyzer, understanding the equipment and materials you are working with is essential to getting the right result the first time. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always go to plan, so it’s important to understand what can be causing poor results and how to fix it.
Co-inoculation: the latest great development in malolactic fermentation
Introduction Commercial strains of malolactic bacterial cultures have been available for many years. Until recently, these cultures were added after the completion of the alcoholic (yeast) fermentation. New research has enabled the development of strains of bacteria that can be added at the same time that yeast is added (co-inoculation). The advantages of co-inoculation are […]
How to avoid the AWBC rejecting your wines
Introduction Wine to be exported from Australia must be approved by a tasting panel of the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation (AWBC). A recent article (1) by Steve Guy, Compliance Manager for the AWBC, outlined the main reasons why wines have been rejected this year. In this article we look at what these reasons are […]
Brettanomyces and Under Pressure! – Testing Times – September 2018
Brettanomyces A customer recently sent a number of red wine samples to check for the presence of Brettanomyces. After discussions it was decided to plate the wines for the microbial presence of Brettanomyces bruxellensis (aka Brett) colony forming units and also to measure for the presence of the marker compounds 4 ethyl phenol and 4 […]
Bentonite fining, Titratable Acidity and Getting Low… – Testing Times August 18
Low pH red wine At our laboratories we service a wide array of winemaking clients, from large wine companies through to backyard hobbyists. We also see a wide variety of wines, from finished products through to works very much ‘in progress’. Recently we encountered a red wine from a very small producer with an unusually […]
Natural Wines and Foaming Cider Kegs! – Testing Times July 18
Natural wine To quote wine writer Max Allen (1) “The hottest wine trend of the decade? That’s easy: all things natural. Grapes grown with a minimum of sprays, preferably organic or biodynamic; nothing added in the cellar except perhaps a small amount of sulphur dioxide preservative at bottling. Just wine. It’s also been the […]
Stuck Ferments, Case Study and Alcohol Content Labelling for Export – Testing Times June 18
Stuck Ferments Every vintage and every region has its own particular issues. So there is always something to keep us interested in the lab. Often the issues are minor or sometimes they are region-wide and a bit of a pain. One problem that appears to some degree, in some place, every year, is the issue […]
Fermented Juices, Tank Water Testing and High Acid Cider – Testing Times May 18
Winery tank issues – for water that is! Vintage is the time when we typically see lots of winemaking fermentation problems – but we thought you might need a break from all that. So in case you’re sick of thinking about wine at the moment, this month we take a look at an interesting issue […]