Vegan WinemakingFrom Juice To Bottle

Why Vegan?• Marketing– Vegan wines appeal to a broader

range of consumers• Consumers with plant based diets often

have no idea that animal products are used in some wines

• Filling a much needed niche in the market• High quality wines not just for

Vegans– Minimalistic winemaking– Less evasive techniques require less

intervention

ML- White Wine Production• Vineyard

– Early pruning – early break and longer maturity before sugar accumulation

– Down side – potential for frost damage– Lower sugar – lower alc and decreased effect of

harsh phenolics• Juice

– Hand sorting – Press options and decisions

• Lighter pressing – 400 millibars or less• Separate press fractions for use in blending to

add texture – complexity– Controlled phenolic levels

• Most animal based fining products are for phenolic reduction – lighter press = less phenolic compounds

• Address the need before it is needed• Higher quality juice from the lighter pressing –

higher quality wine in the bottle

ML- White Wine Production• In The Tank– Lysozyme - Animal products are not just for fining

• Egg based enzyme used to prevent malolactic fermentation– Alternative

• Close monitoring of the fermentation environment• Sulfur management post press

– Oxidation Treatment/Prevention• PVPP and Plant based proteins – Already Vegan

ML- White Wine ProductionModern Day Fining “Standards”

• Animal Products Used– Isinglass– Gelatins(Fish Gelatins)– Potassium Caseinate

• Alternatives– Hybrids – Bentonite/PVPP/Plant

protein/Silica– Plant Proteins– Winemaking Practices

Red Wine Production

• Animal Product Standards– Albumin• Softens wine – reduces tannins

– Gelatins and Fish Gelatins• Softens wine – reduces tannins –

color stabilization

– Casein• Softens wine – aids in oxidation

management

Red Wine Production• Starts in the Vineyard– Terroir – know your fruit – know

your vineyard• Fermentation management– Cold Soaking– Extended maceration– Extraction Enzymes– Oak alternatives – Enological

tannins• Trials• Analysis

Estate Cabernet Cold Soak Trial (No extended maceration)

24 Hour Cold Soak 72 Hour Cold Soak

Catechins Before Ferm <1mg/L 1mg/L

Catechins After Ferm 7mg/L 7mg/L

Tannins Before Ferm 108mg/L 90mg/L

Tannins After Ferm 610mg/L 719mg/L

Total Anthocyanins Before Ferm 145mg/L 350mg/L

Total Anthocyanins After Ferm 507mg/L 561mg/L

•Longer cold soak increased tannins•Anthocyanin extraction finishes at roughly the same level

• Color is drawn out at higher temps and has a potential max level•Decreasing cold soak time – can decrease tannins, astringency, bitterness•Decreased cold soak time – can decrease the need for protein fining down the road

Estate Cabernet Extended Maceration Trial (No cold soak)

Press at 0° Brix 72 Hour Post Ferm Maceration

Catechins before Ferm 1mg/L 1mg/L

Catechins after Ferm 6mg/L 6mg/L

Tannins before Ferm 80mg/L 111mg/L

Tannins after Ferm 731mg/L 882mg/L

Anthocyanins before Ferm 268mg/L 151mg/L

Anthocyanins after Ferm 998mg/L 966mg/L

•Longer Maceration time results – increased anthocyanins with similar tannin extraction

•Still more tannin extraction occurs during maceration•To manage tannins while maximizing color – shorter cold soak with no maceration•Color extraction plateaus like with cold soaking•Color must then be stabilized since there is reduced tannin structure to support it

Red Wine Production

• Utilize New Technology– Micro Oxygenation

• Color stabilization• Oak tannin management• Oxidation management

– Ultra Filtration – Cross Flow• Reduce tannin structure• Downside – reduce color

– Instrumentation – Analysis• Extraction monitoring• Dissolved oxygen pick up

Red Wine ProductionBalancing Act

• Managing the vineyard to prevent over – ripeness : Reduced complexity from under ripe fruit.

• Whole cluster press: Destem and Crush• Decreasing cold soak and maceration : decrease

extraction of aromas, complexity and structure.• Micro oxygenation for color stabilization :

Oxidation and Spoilage risks.• Enological tannin usage : astringent mouth feel• Cross flow filtration : damaged structure

Red Wine Production• Alternatives– Plant Proteins– Hybrid usage– Viticultural Practices– Winemaking Techniques– New Technology

• A need for more Alternative Research?– Malolactic fermentation control and prevention in white

wines– Plant based – synthetic proteins for softening red wines– New plant based products for corrective purposes -

oxidation

Conclusion• There is a demand to be

supplied• Vineyard and Viticulture

practices• Managing the production

process• Managing the fermentation• Managing the aging process• Utilizing new technology• Experimentation