Novel method for assisting and accelerating the aging process of wine

Objective

Wine producers are constantly striving to achieve a stable product with an extended period of peak taste and bouquet. Naturally aged wine tends to be milder tasting, smoother to drink and have a higher metabolism than non-aged wine. Research has shown this to be due to the dynamic structures of the ethanol-water clusters being changed to a smaller, more uniform state as the wine ages. Prior to the ageing process, many wines are treated with certain additives, such as potassium bisulphate, sodium bisulphate, and other conditioners and ingredients. However it is left to the traditional ageing process to disperse these ingredients throughout the liquid, as well as to the judgement of expert winemakers to periodically taste the wine to determine whether more additives are required. The various modules in wine will then blend with or attach to each other imperfectly over time. When attachment is complete a degree of stability sets in for a period of time. At this point the wine is at its optimal state for consumption. Following this period the process of detachment begins, resulting in a loss of wine quality. Research to date has revealed that the aging process can be enhanced with by the application of high pressures and temperatures over time, however extremes in either can be detrimental to the quality of the wine and controlled delivery is of utmost importance. This project will build on past research that has demonstrated promising results for the application of temperature and pressure by ultrasonic radiation which can alter the interaction of wine ingredients to obtain chemical changes in the wine resembling many years of natural ageing. A prototype ultrasound device will be designed, built and integrated into existing wine fermentation vats in order to validate its usefulness at industrial scale for the production of homogenous wines with an extended shelf-life in very short periods of time compared to natural ageing.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.

• natural sciences chemical sciences inorganic chemistry alkali metals
• natural sciences physical sciences acoustics ultrasound
• engineering and technology industrial biotechnology bioprocessing technologies fermentation

Programme(s)

Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.

• FP7-SME - Specific Programme "Capacities": Research for the benefit of SMEs

Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

• SME-1 - Research for SMEs

Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

FP7-SME-2010-1
See other projects for this call

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

BSG-SME - Research for SMEs

Coordinator

Participants (8)