New magnetic nanotechnology is helping to remove haze-forming proteins in white wine, as found by the Australian Wine Research Institute and the University of South Australia.
The research, funded by Wine Australia, found the nanotechnology successfully removed 98 per cent of haze-forming proteins from wines in 10 consecutive absorption-desorption cycles, further indicating its ability for reuse.
The new technology was tested on unfined 2017 Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Chardonnay from South Australia. It uses magnetic nanoparticles coated with acrylic acid polymers, and when placed in heat-unstable wine, can attract and bind proteins to the nanoparticles’ surfaces.
A magnet is then used to draw the particles from the wine, leaving a clarified product without haze.
Lead researcher Dr Agnieszka Mierczynska-Vasilev said the new technology has the potential to be a valuable and sustainable alternative to conventional bentonite fining treatments, saving the wine industry millions.
“Protein haze is a serious problem for the wine industry. Not only because consumers see it as a defect, but also because conventional bentonite treatments can cause significant wine volume loss, which is also reflected in the bottom line,” Mierczynska-Vasilev says.
“Winemakers traditionally use bentonite to remove proteins and prevent haze formation, but as it is a clay, it swells in the wine solution and can lead to a loss of wine volume of approximately three per cent.
“Using this technology, winemakers could potentially remove haze-forming proteins safely and efficiently, without bentonite-associated volume loss, and importantly, could do so multiple times with the same nanoparticles.”
The overall estimate of loss caused by bentonite fining is around $100 million annually, said Mierczynska-Vasilev, as well as around $1 billion per year globally.
“While there is still some way to go before the technology can be practically applied in wineries, and the need to obtain regulatory approval both in Australia and overseas, given the clear economic, sustainable and sensory benefits, this nanotechnology has a very strong potential for adoption – it’s absolutely a ‘watch this space’,” she said.
