Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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The present invention relates to a process for producing wine
without the addition of sulphur products; in this proce~s, must
is extracted from pressed grapes in the usual way; this must is
then deslimed or settled, as required, and fermentation is
initiated, if necessary by heating the must and/or by the
addition of yeast and/or by mixing the must with a must that is
already fermenting; the fermented product is then further
processed whilst preventing the ingress of air.
In conventional processes that are used to make wine, the maximum
guantities of sulphurous acid that may be added to the wine are
prescribed by law.
The sulphur that is added functions mainly to prevent oxidation
that can have an adverse affect on the colour, bouquet, or taste
of the wine.
The journal Die Weinwirtschaft [Wine Management], No. 14, 1976;
p. 33~, asserts that it is not possible to make wine without
adding sulphurous acid.
Das Weinblatt [The Wine News], No. 12, 1962; p. 241, asserts that
the addition of lactic acid bacteria to mature wines initiates
the biological breakdown of acid; however, sulphur is added in
the course of this process as well.
FR-A-2540 155 describes a wine-making process that does not
include the addition of sulphurous acid; in this, the yeast that
is contained in the wine assumes the reducing function sf the
sulphurous acid, the wine being separated from the yeast only
when the biological breakdown of the acid has been completed.
However, this process could not completely prevent the oxidation
of the wine.
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US-A3,826,849 proposes that, in order to improve the quality of
low-grade wines, the grape ~kins and pips be separated from the
mash, the pips be separated from the grape skins, after which the
grape skins are ground and then added to the fermenting must once
again.
It is the task of the present invention to produce a wine without
adding any sulphur products, using natural substances of the
grape vine and, while keeping to the usual course of the procéss,
avoiding any measures that could have an adverse effect on the
quality of the wine, which would include, in particular,
preventing contact with the air.
According to the present invention, this task has been solved in
that, in place of sulphur products, products that contain starch,
such as products of grape pips, preferably grape-pip meal, and
those elements of the grapes that provide protection against
oxidation, preferably anthocyanine and/or anthocyanogene, are
added before, during, or after fermentation in order to prevent
browning or oxidation.
Example:
Preferably, healthy wine grapes are pressed, the must is improved
as required, a culture of biologically pure yeast i5 added to it,
and then it is refined (cleared) with bentonite that is added at
the rate of 1-5 g/l. Bentonite clearing is not required in the
case of dark red wine, and in the case of light red wine, 1-3 g
are required. In the case of white wines, 1-5 g~l are added.
Commercially available bentonite can be used. However, it has
been found advantageous to use bentonites that can swell a great
deal. The subsequent fermentation is so ef~ected that no over-
heating takes place.
Since these young wines are very cloudy, it is recommended that
the process be continued as follows: centrifuying, filteriny
through diatomaceous earth, and bacteria-free ~iltering with and
in sterilized equipment and containers, and with the pri~r
introduction of CO2 through all pipes, machinery, and containers
so as to prevent the ingress o~ air. Should a natural breakdown
of the acids be desired, the wine is s~ettled, as discussed above,
after the breakdown of the acid. The wine that is now contained
in the tank is then treated as follows: C2 iS added to white
wines at a rate of at least 2 g~l. No CO2 is added to red wines
and rosees.
Six l-litre bottles are then filled with wine that has been
stored in this way and laboratory methods are used to determine
what ~uantities of products that contain starch, such as grape-
pip meal and vegetable matter, such as dried and ground grape
skins and/or dried and ground pip husks, with a high percentage
of anthocyanogenes and/or anthocyanenes, are required. The
following quantities were used in this first test of
clarification:
in the first bottle: 1 g grape-pip meal per litre
in the second bottle: 2 g grape-pip meal per litre
in the third bottle: 3 g grape-pip meal per litre
in the fourth bottle: 4 g grape-pip meal per litre
in the fifth bottle: 5 g grape-pip meal per litre
in the sixth bottle: 6 g or more grape-pip meal per litre
After three days at the earliest to a week, 1/16 litre from each
bottle was exposed to daylight/sunlight. After a few days of
such exposure, a browning reaction occurred only in those samples
that contained too little grape-pip meal.
The wine in the remaining samples, which showed no browning, is
filtered and subjected to a further test of clarificatlon.
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When this was done, the followiny w~re added:
in the first bottle 1 g ground grape skin and/or ground pip
husks
in the second bottle 3 g " " "
in the third bottle 5 g " " "
in the fourth bottle 7 g " " " or more.
After at the earliest 3 day~ to a week l/16 litre from each
bottle was exposed to daylight/sunlight.
After the third day, th~ taste and odour associated with
oxidation (of Sherry) could be detected in those samples that
contained too little of the ground grape skins and/or ground pip
husks. For this reason, the sample that contains the smallest
quantities of additives and which has an unaffected taste is the
best samplè.
These laboratory tests can also be carried out in the reverse
sequence, which is to say that one starts with the addition of
ground grape skins or ground pip husks and then adds the grape-
pip meal to the second sample.
The wine within the tank is to be treated in accordance with the
quantities established in this manner. After treatment in the
tank, in which the grape-pip meal and the ground grape skins or
pip husks are added to the wine either separately or togethar,
after a week at the earliest, a further test (browining test,
window test) is to be carried out; this involves exposing a clear
glass that is half full of wine and which is covered only to
prevent the ingress of dirt, not the ingress of air, to daylight
(in a window) for 10 - 72 hours. I
Experience has shown that the wine is now stable, which is to say
that it no longer turns brown and do~s not take on any odour or
taste of oxidation. However, should the result of this
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additional test of the wine taken from the tank be negative,
laboratory tests are to be resumed.
~s soon as the wine in the tank is stable, it is to be ~iltered
into the next tank in a manner that ensures that it is free pf
~acteria. This wine must be placed in bottles or other
containers, as far as possible in such a manner as to prevent it
coming into contact with the air. The containers and the
stoppers that are to be used, like all the other equipment,
machinery, and hoses that are used during the filling and closing
processes, must be sterile or else sterilized prior to the start
of the filling process. During this cold-sterilized filling
process it must be ensured that of air within the containers is
replaced by CO2. During the closing process, it must al60 be
ensured that the sterile stoppers are not exposed to bacterial
contamination during the closing process. The filling machinery
is to be charged with CO2 before and/or when the containers are
filled. In the same way, any filling tank is to be sterilized
and filled with C2 prior to being filled with the wine product.
A filter that will ensure bacterial-free filtration is installed
between the filling tank and the filling machinery. The wine
that is the filling tank should be filled into the containers as
soon as possible in order to avoid protracted storage in the
filling tank. It must also be ensured that there is no adverse
effect on the wine within the filling tank and in the filled
containers that is caused by improper storage temperature.
This wine can also be used to make fortified wines, dessert
wines, as well as for sparkling wines. When this is done, it
must once again be rendered free of bacteria.
Because of the fact that it is not possible to preclude
injurious effects on health caused by the addition of sulphur
during the production of wine, even if the legally permitted
maximum quantities are not exceeded, the process according to the
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present invention entails a significant advant.age with~ut
prejudicing the quality of the wine.
A wine that has been treated by the process according to the
present invention, a Blauer burgunder 1987 was commended by the
North Austrian Provincial Chamber of Agriculture on the occasion
of the Krems Wine Show that was held in Krems (Austria) in 1988
and was accepted for the group of Aust.ria's 200 best wines (the
Austrian Wine Salon).
