Introduction
In this series, we’re raising a glass to recognize and celebrate the science behind winemaking. When wine producers rely on data — in addition to their intuition — they can guarantee quality, consistency, and fair pricing for all stakeholders throughout the value chain.
In the first two articles, Perfect Pairing: FT-IR Testing and Winemaking and The Perfect Pour Starts with Data: Grape Must Testing Using FT-IR, we explored the importance of testing grapes at harvest and analyzing the grape must, using FT-IR spectroscopy to guide the process. Now, we continue the journey into the third phase of winemaking: must under fermentation.
Mastering Must Under Fermentation
After grape solids — skins, seeds, and stems — mingle and marinate for a time, they form must, the foundation for fermentation. In the must under fermentation stage, yeast is the focus in determining ideal sweetness and alcohol content of the finished wine.
Because the process of vinification occurs naturally as yeast, either naturally present on grape skins or cultured strains added by wine makers, consume sugars in the must, many winemakers feel they have less control during the fermentation process. However, advancements in FT-IR technology provide scientific data and actionable insights that can influence the final product.
Monitoring Fermentation Progress
During fermentation, yeast feeds on sugars and nitrogen found in grape must and juice, generating ethanol and carbon dioxide. Winemakers can track fermentation progress by measuring sugar, pH, and acidity levels in the must.
Sugar levels: As sugars are consumed, ethanol production increases. Tracking sugar levels at this stage informs winemakers how much time is needed to achieve the desired sweetness and alcohol content. Sweet wines retain residual sugar after fermentation, while dry wines do not.
pH levels: pH levels influence a wine’s overall flavor profile, appearance, and stability. It’s critical to monitor pH levels — lower pH levels enhance stability and freshness, while a higher pH can compromise color, shelf life, and microbial safety.
Acid content: Malic acid, the element that influences wine’s tartness, ensures the final product maintains its intended taste. During malolactic fermentation (MLF), malic acid is converted into lactic acid, giving wine a creamy mouthfeel — but too much acid loss can elevate pH levels and increase the risk of spoilage.
Real-time testing of must under fermentation ensures wine maintains its integrity. While off-site labs can generate data, the insights often arrive too late to be useful. That’s what makes on-site FT-IR technology a true game changer in wine production.
Take Data to the Next Level
Combining speed, accuracy, and ease-of-use, the LQA 300 FT-IR spectrometer is the ideal choice for analysis throughout the winemaking process, including must under fermentation.
Delivering results in less than 45 seconds, the LQA 300 instrument features a powerful and intuitive 12-inch touchscreen interface, step-by-step workflows, and built-in connectivity and reporting software. This robust, all-in-one system is so simple to operate, novice users can master it with minimal training — just load the sample, then press “Analyze” on the touchscreen.
The LQA 300 system empowers winemakers to:
- Evaluate grape quality quickly to segregate grapes and plan for fermentation
- Monitor vinification to ensure alcoholic and malolactic fermentation processes take place
- Verify finished product quality to avoid reprocessing batches
LQA 300 Capabilities for Analyzing Must Fermentation
The table below is an example of validation statistics of the calibrations for must and must under fermentation in one specific study. Repeated performance may yield different results, depending on the number of samples and reference methods used.
Note: Results presented are not performance specifications for the LQA 300 instrument. For additional information on LQA 300 instrument specifications, please reference our brochure.
Maintain a Competitive Edge
Beyond quality control during the winemaking process, compositional data helps wine producers refine taste profiles and support richer product descriptions to help improve the customer experience in online channels. Providing detailed product descriptions informs and entices potential buyers, creating an advantage with customers who crave more information about the products they buy online.
As we approach our destination of the wine production journey, keep watch for our fourth and final article where we focus on testing at the blending and bottling stage.