PreserveWine-DEMO · Demonstration of a non-thermal process to replace use of sulphites and other chemical preservatives in European wines to meet new European Directive

The PreserveWine project (Grant Agreement Number: 262507) funded by the R4SME programme (call identifier: FP7-SME-2010-1) delivered high quality science and technology development. PreserveWine involved the RTD of a novel non-thermal process known as “Pressure Change Technology” (PCT) to extend the shelf life of wine; reducing the need to use chemical preservatives and ensuring high wine quality. This is an attractive alternative in alignment with current EC regulations that are demanding a significant reduction in the use of sulphur dioxide in wines.A novel continuous pressure change technology system to stabilize wine and wine must with high- pressure (500 bar), was successfully developed and validated at a 120L/h scale. This process provides a “cold pasteurization” process, with the advantage that heat-labile components, colour and taste remain unchanged. The novel PreserveWine system significantly reduced the amount of oxygen in wine, thus providing protection against oxidation directly after treatment and during long-term storage in barrels or bottles. Further positive effects including the protection of wine from colour changes and the maintenance of physicochemical and sensory quality of red and white wine and must be more extensively validated. The effects of various parameters such as gas type and retention time have been determined.An industrial scale unit has been designed and specified. Further demonstration at industrial sites to confirm long-term performance, operational costs and economic viability must be undertaken. These include industrialisation of manufacturing processes to enable economies of scale to be achieved. The consortium has identified a number of market opportunities and is keen to bring this development into an industrial stage.