VMW 246 Wine Aging, Filtration, and Bottling

Lecture Hours: 3
Lab Hours: 2
Credits: 4

Focuses on wine processing practices and quality control management. Covers wine transfer methods and wine filtration using pad, diatomaceous earth, and membrane filters, aging and barrel storage, bottling practices and equipment, and required wine analysis.VMW 245 with a grade of C or better; or consent of instructor.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Select and use appropriate wine transfer methods and equipment.
Assess filtration needs and set up and operate winery filters.
Evaluate effects of filtration on clarity and microbial stability.
Implement barrel maintenance and sanitation procedures.
Perform bottling operations, including sterile bottling and associated analysis.

Content Outline

Wine Transfer Methods
- Types of pumps
- In-line additions and treatments
- Measuring flow rate and volume transferred
Wine Filtration Methods
- Mechanisms of filtration
- Types of filters
  - Diatomaceous earth filters
  - Pad filters
  - Crossflow and reverse osmosis filters
  - Membrane and sterile filters
- Filtration testing
  - Assessing filtration needs, type, and sequence
  - Estimating surface area, flow rates, and filtration capacity
  - Measuring turbidity and solids content
  - Integrity testing and microbiological plating
  - Effects of filtration on sensory properties of wines
Wine Maturation and Aging
- Aging in tanks and cooperage, aging programs
- Chemical and sensory changes during aging
  - Barrel coopering and specifications
  - Effects of barrel aging on wine composition
- Barrel management and sanitation
  - Temperature and humidity
  - Topping and wine losses
  - Cleaning and storage
- Evaluating and controlling microbiology of wines during aging
Bottling Operations and Equipment
- Blending, final filtration, additions at bottling
- Bottle rinsers, spargers, fillers
- Sanitizing and sterilizing bottling lines
- Trouble-shooting problems and microbial contamination
- Corks and alternate closures, assessing cork quality
- Corkers, cappers, foilers, labelers
Post-Bottling Operations
- Sterile bottling microbial analysis
- Fill height and required analysis
- Bottle aging and storage