Vegan Winemaking
From 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 Production
Modern 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 Production
Balancing 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