The colour of the wine is one of the organoleptic parameters most valued by consumers, since it gives information about its vinification, evolution and the defects that it can present. Over time and due to oxidation processes, white wines evolve into softer tones such as golden yellow. The same happens with the brightness in red and rosé wines.
Of particular interest is the colour in red and rosé wines, due to the economic resources to be used for the extraction of the phenolic compounds from the skins of the grapes. These substances do not only influence the colour but also contribute to the flavour and the aftertaste or the body.
Due to the mechanization of the harvest, the wineries collect a large quantity of grapes in a very short period of time. Harvesting process have been reduced from over two months to about four weeks. As a result, winemakers need tools to process all the raw material quickly, as well as to produce high-quality wines.
AGROVIN has developed a leading technique, based on ultrasonics, that allows the total extraction of the polyphenolic and aromatic potential of the grape in a record time without modifying the organoleptic characteristics of the resulting wine.
In 2015, AGROVIN received the approval by the European Commission of the project ULTRAWINE under Horizon 2020 SME INSTRUMENTS phase II.
Throughout these two years of Project, a versatile equipment has been designed and manufactured, able to adapt to all types of wineries due to its two working systems: in continuous, for those wineries that have a large facilities, or in recirculation, for smaller wineries. In addition, its construction in modules of 50 kW, allows the client to purchase a customised equipment, depending on the daily input of red grape.
Experiences with ULTRAWINE's final prototype have yielded exceptional results in different grape varieties and in different wine-growing areas. Generally, for those varieties whose phenolic maturation index is optimal, after ultrasonic treatment only 1 day of maceration was required, while grapes that were not treated with ultrasound required a maceration period of 7/8 days. All this has been made possible due to the optimization of both the Extraction System and the ULTRAWINE equipment during these 2 years of Project. The hardware, software and cavitation cells of the ULTRAWINE device has been upgraded.
The training of the commercial network of AGROVIN on ultrasound in vinification processes and the dissemination of technology have been two fundamental pillars of the Project. The commercial training has been carried out worldwide. In terms of dissemination, various platforms have been used: specialist magazines of the sector, digital magazines, social networks, national and international specialized fairs, visits and live demonstrations on several wineries, etc.
