Past Features of the Month
Are Your Wines
Ready for Bottling??
It is essential that once a wine reaches the consumer, it is an accurate
representation of what went into the bottle. By using a combination of
chemical analyses and stability trials prior to bottling, you can ensure
that your wine will remain stable. To help you in this endeavor,
Vinquiry offers the following analyses, panels, and trials:
•
Basic Chemistry Panel – Panel 1
Once a wine has completed primary fermentation, the Basic Chemistry
Panel is a useful tool as a general wine check-up. The panel covers
baseline chemistry tests for assessing wine from fermentation through
finish.
•
Unfiltered Bottling Panel – Panel 4
The Unfiltered Bottling Panel is one of the most valuable panels
Vinquiry offers. It provides information on the risks associated with
bottling a wine unfiltered. The panel also checks for stability
regarding both primary and malolactic fermentation. There are two
separate panels specifically tailored for red and white wines.
• PCR for Spoilage Organisms
Real-Time PCR is a rapid method for the identification of organisms.
Vinquiry has validated Real-Time PCR assays for two spoilage yeasts;
Brettanomyces/Dekkera species and Zygosaccharomyces bailii. In addition,
we have developed assays for the Lactobacillaceae (the family of
bacteria that includes Lactobacillus and Pediococcus species) and for
the Pediococcus species alone. An assay for the Acetobacter species is
currently being validated and will be available soon.
•
Cork Evaluation
Cork evaluation is critical to verify that wine defects will not be
contributed by natural cork. This test helps winemakers to decide if a
certain batch of corks will give the lowest probability in contaminating
wine with TCA.
•
Wine Improvement Panel
The Wine Improvement Panel is a tool to help winemakers enhance the
quality of their wines. The Panel begins with a Sensory Evaluation
followed by a Trial Addition Series and Consultation. It provides a
second opinion on a wine with unusual aroma or taste characteristics
that are perceived as having a negative impact. The Panel can also be
used for suggestions that are perhaps needed to improve an already
good wine. This Panel combines the sensory and production experience of
Vinquiry consultants and enologists with the Vinquiry arsenal of
specialty winemaking products to provide our clients with a
cost-effective way to receive valuable advice.
Individual Analyses:
• 4-Ethylphenol and 4-Ethylguaiacol
• Alcohol
• Cold Stability
• Filterability
• Finning Trials – protein stability, clarification, sensory
modification, acid/pH adjustment series
• Glucose/Fructose
• Heat Stability
• Malic Acid
• Packaging Quality Control
• pH
• Phenolics/Color
• SO2
• Titratable Acidity
• Turbidity
• Volatile Acidity
For more information on pre-bottling analysis, please call your local
Vinquiry office or 707-838-6312.

Past Features of the Month
April 2008 - Finishing Tannins
March 2008 - Ascent Cork Aroma Evaluation
February 2008 - Wine Improvement Panel
January
2008 - PCR for Spoilage Yeast and Bacteria
November and December 2007 - Post Harvest Specials
October 2007 - Stuck Fermentations
September 2007 - Subliwhite
August 2007
- Juice Panels
July 2007
- YSEO yeast
June 2007 - Instrument Calibration
May
2007 - Adams Tannin Assay
April 2007- Laboratory Set-Up
March 2007- PCR Analysis
February
2007- ISO Accreditation
December 2006- Lab Equipment Sale
November 2006- Restart Stuck Fermentations
October 2006- Malolactic Bacteria
September 2006- New Yeast
August 2006- Juice Analysis Panels
July 2006- Thermo Orion Meters
June
2006- Sparkling Wine Products
May
2006- Ochratoxin Analysis
April 2006- Calibration Services
March
2006- Sensory Services
February 2006- Fining Trials and Products
January
2006- Unified Symposium
December 2005- Efferbaktol SO2 Granules
November 2005- ML Bacteria