62 P R A C T I C A L W I N E R Y & V I N E YA R D April 2015
R E S E A R C H F O C U S
ers, but there is no established link between chlorine dioxide
and TCA (cork taint), as is the case for other chlorinated sanitiz-
ers. In this study chlorine dioxide was not shown to be effective
in either 5 mg/L or 10 mg/L concentrations against any of the
yeast populations. This may be explained by the fact that chlo-
rinated sanitizers can bind to organic matter, and the barrels
are organic matter.
Ozone is an oxidizer that is created electrically in a winery.
Ozone has no problems with resistance, no limits of tempera-
ture or pH, and no problems with residues or metal corrosion.
Ozone has a very short half-life, however, and must be pro-
duced constantly. Ozone at 1 mg/L applied for 5 or 10 minutes
was effective against all yeast populations for both time periods
in most of the barrels but not all, with potential issues being
the initial population or an ineffective cleaning prior to ozone
treatment.
This study demonstrated some differences in the perfor-
mance of common sanitizers when challenged with
Brettanomyces in barrels. Each type of sanitation treatment has
its strengths and weaknesses, summarized in Table II.
PWV
This article is adapted from a text originally published in
Appellation Cornell, Issue #15, August 2013, a publication of the
Cornell Viticulture & Enology program.
Acknowledgements. The authors would like to thank Constellation
Brands and Francis Ford Coppola Winery for providing the work-
space, barrels, labor and laboratory assistance in California.
Bibliography
1. G. Wirtanen and S. Salo. 2003. "Disinfection in food processing—
efficacy testing of disinfectants." Reviews in Environmental Science &
Biotechnology Vol. 2, Issue 2-4, pp 293–306
