NEW PHYSICAL TECHNIQUES FOR THE TREATMENT OF WINE: CROSS-FLOW MICRO-FILTRATION

NOTE: THIS IS PART THREE IN A FIVE PART SERIES BY ESCUDIER Before bottling, wines are subjected to different procedures in order to commercialize clear and stable products. Generally, these treatments aim at limiting the presence of microorganisms – yeast and bacteria – in wine, and at reducing the risks of tartrate and colour precipitation in the bottle. Better controls of the different phases of wine treatments, as well as the optimization of the profitability of the equipment, depend on technological innovation. One innovation is cross-flow microfiltration. Even though its principles and application potential in enology has been known for a long time, it was only recently thoroughly studied and modernized. This article discussed the principles of cross-flow microfiltration as it applies to winemaking. Key words: cross flow microfiltration, filtration, bottling