The most appreciated notes in the trend wines of recent years among consumers of white and rosé wines are the balance found between well-marked acidity that evokes fresh notes and volume that makes it more pleasant on the mouth.

The upward trend in pH in almost all wine-growing areas puts winemakers on alert about the ever-increasing possibility of uncontrolled starts of malolactic fermentation in these wines.

How can I avoid malolactic in whites and rosés? From Dolmar we propose to control the microbial flora after alcoholic fermentation, looking for not only to avoid these unwanted starts of malolactic fermentation but even increases in volatile acidity due to contamination of yeast or bacteria, thanks to the use of SMART SOLUTION L, a highly activated chitosan suspension with antioxidant tannins.

Its action of Smart Solution L is immediate, after 48 hours in suspension in the tank we can proceed to racking the wine, reducing microbiology by 95% of batteries and 97% of yeasts according to tests carried out. A fundamental point to ensure the effectiveness of the treatment will be to maintain appropriate hygiene and disinfection conditions in the destination tank and in the hoses used for the rack.

And with the volume-roundness in mouth and the maintenance of the fresh notes in this type of wine, can I improve it? The volume in mouth can be achieved thanks to the use after alcoholic fermentation of preparations based on polysaccharides and soluble mannoproteins such as SENSACION DELIGHT, which together with the increase of volume in mouth adds the action of reducing molecules, collaborating in the maintenance of the freshness of the wines over the months. Its use after the first racking, after the alcoholic fermentation, allows us to delay the addition of sulfur, thus avoiding the appearance of sulfur aromas generated by the sulfate reductase enzymes of the yeasts that continue to have activity for several weeks.

And in the case of red wines, how can I protect them against Brettanomyces? With the use of our SMART SOLUTION L we can reduce the Brettanomyces population by 97%.

If we use it between alcoholic and malolactic, we must subsequently inoculate selected lactic bacteria since the elimination of microorganisms also includes lactic and acetic bacteria.

If we apply it once the malolactic fermentation has been carried out, we will thus be able to stabilize the wines microbiologically, leaving them ready both to be sent safely to barrel aging and for vinification without altering the wines of the year.

If I want to increase the volume of red wines and the fruity profile, can I also use polysaccharides? The answer is yes, thanks to SENSACION FRUIT, inactivated yeast enriched in polysaccharides together with oak tannin and cherry tannin, we will achieve more stable wines, polishing roughness, greenness and bitterness. Developing fruity aromas and rounding out the mouthfeel.

And in the case of press wines from this year, how can I eliminate the greenery typical of an unripe vintage and the marked sulfur notes? We can eliminate both deviations in one step, thanks to the use of FORTICLAR, a vegetable protein with deodorizing charcoal and copper citrate, the perfect tool for press wines that present herbaceous notes with marked vegetable character, and unwanted aromas of hydrogen sulfide, garlic, onion, sulfur molecules that do not allow the wine to show itself on the nose or in the mouth. Its use is simple, it only requires keeping it in suspension for 4 or 5 days, letting it settle and racking it after 10 days.

Lorena Alonso

Commercial Technician in Dolmar Products.