Introduction
Celebrating the science of winemaking continues following our first article, Perfect Pairing: FT-IR Testing and Winemaking — the second topic in our article series explores the importance of testing grapes at harvest and must, which contains skins, seeds, and stems. Using FT-IR spectroscopy, wine producers can guarantee product soundness, optimal grape maturity, and fair pricing.
Ripe for the Picking
Achieving the correct balance between phenolic and physiological maturity is essential for winemakers. Monitoring grape maturity on the vine helps determine the right time to harvest. Wine producers rely on key indicators — most importantly sugar content — to ensure successful fermentation later in the process.
Traditionally, deciding when to harvest has been driven by a healthy mix of hands-on experience, keen knowledge, and gut feeling. However, with today’s extreme weather patterns and erratic climate shifts, intuition isn’t enough. To remain competitive, wine producers must supplement expertise with real-time, actionable data using FT-IR analysis — resulting in the perfect blend of art and science.
And once harvested, an accurate understanding of grape composition and soundness also enables fair and accurate payment at the weighbridge. Ensuring both growers and buyers receive an equitable payment for grapes at harvest can only be achieved with reliable and accurate data, and FT-IR is unmatched in its ability to offer this data in the field.
Monitoring pH and Acidity
Analyzing sugar concentration in must — typically measured in °Brix — requires testing the levels of fermentable sugars (glucose and fructose) or calculating total soluble solids. At this stage, data gathered through efficient FT-IR analysis helps winemakers accurately estimate the potential alcohol content in the finished product.
In addition to sugar content, FT-IR spectroscopy measures the pH and titratable acidity in grapes and must. This process is necessary to assess microbial stability — and adjust if needed — before fermentation begins. These measurements matter when it comes to maintaining quality and consistency in the flavor profile and shelf stability of the wine.
Analyze — Any Time, Anywhere
Wine producers, both large and small, are looking for a fast and convenient method of testing. That’s why we designed the state-of-the-art LQA 300 multi-parameter FT-IR wine analyzer, featuring modern optics, simple-to-use software, and remote connectivity – all in one compact instrument.
Ready to go in mere minutes, this powerful instrument delivers accurate results in less than 45 seconds — that’s at least 60 samples per hour. Created for routine analyses on a variety of sample types throughout the winemaking process, including must, the LQA 300 measures glucose, acid, density, and more.
Continue exploring the science behind winemaking using FT-IR spectroscopy. Our third article in this series focuses on using the LQA 300 analyzer at the next key stage of the winemaking process: must under fermentation.