Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/137110
Skolnik_Dir10_Jan10.qxd 10/19/09 10:04 AM Page 1 WINEMAKING use for all our wine filtration including our Pinot Noir. We also have an RDV for juice lees filtration. Large: For all finished wine we use a Pall XL6. This is used to filter our wine straight from protein and cold stabilization to bottle-ready wine in one pass. Since the move to cross-flow technology, we have minimized the need for multiple filtration steps. For juice lees we use an RDV, mainly due to the speed and quality of the juice we get. The slightly higher DO pick up gives us good results as far as a clean and healthy fermentation. Are any of your wines not filtered? If so, can you tell us the reason behind this? Crowe: No, I'm a safety girl when it comes to bottling wines for a company that isn't my own. Thompson: All our wines pass through the cross flow. This decision is based on commercial risk. We are a medium-sized boutique winery with a market presence that punches above its weight. As such we want to keep the risk of spoilage and disappointing our fans to a minimum. Jones: We filter all our wines. We export all over the world and want to minimize the risk of any spoilage. We have done post-filtration triangle tests and don't see any sensory difference between filtered and unfiltered wines (that's after a post-filtration rest period). Large: No, all of our wines are filtered to maintain quality and microbial stability as they age in the bottle. With regards to wine export, have you seen many changes to standards and specifications that affect the way you have to filter? If so, how have you met these demands? Crowe: Some markets prefer red wines that have an amount of residual sugar, which is why I've adopted cross flow. Thompson: Not that I am aware of. As unrelated as it is, we do have to put a 'best before' or 'spoilage' date on wine we send to the Ukraine. Jones: No. Large: Not really. Standards are still very high, and I think that by using a cross flow we are achieving a better result with less pumping of the wine. Some pressure has come on from a health and safety point of view, hence the move toward technology that doesn't use DE. Have you suffered any wine quality repercussions while using any form of filtration medium over the years? Crowe: Different wines respond to filtration differently; sometimes a wine will immediately look better, and sometimes it will look flat. After a mini-heart attack, they always seem to bounce back. Thompson: The detractors of plate and frame and DE filtration express concern with regard to the aroma profile of the filtration medium entering the wine. I believe the quality repercussions with regard to centrifugation, cross flow and depth filters is more subtle and based around the stripping of character and components of the wine. That said, I have never sat down to taste a controlled trial of filtered versus unfiltered wine after a year in bottle. Coming at the question from another angle, I have witnessed devastating repercussion due to not using filtration. Jones: No. Large: No, I think the move to cross flow has eliminated any potential issues around filtration mediums, such as contaminated DE. What are the hardest wines to filter in your region and why? Crowe: Pinot Noir is the hardest wine I've ever had to filter. S TA I N L E S S S T E E L C O O P E R A G E P r o v iding l e a ding w ine m a k e r s with stainless steel barrels of high quality, durability, and design. SKOLNIK INDUSTRIES, INC. 4900 SOUTH KILBOURN AVENUE CHICAGO IL 60632-4593 PHONE 773.735.0700 FAX 773.735.7257 TOLL FREE 1.800.441.8780 HTTP://WINEDRUM.SKOLNIK.COM EMAIL: SALES@SKOLNIK.COM VINTNERS ADVANTAGE Winery Management Software www.vintnersadvantage.com HARVESTWINEMAKINGSPIRITS BARRELBARCODING GROWERCONTRACTS BULKWINESALES& PURCHASECONTRACTS CASEGOODSBOTTLING TASTINGROOMFINANCIALS Personalized training sessions Customized system setup 24/7 Harvest Help Desk Support Free annual upgrades Email sales@miscorp.com Or Call 866-647-3757 Schedule your demo today! Win es & V i n es JU LY 20 13 39