Use of Nanofiltration for Tartrate Stabilisation of Wine

Cold stabilisation is widely used in the Australian wine Industry to prevent precipitation of tartrate salts in bottled wine. However, this method suffers from a number of disadvantages. Nanofiltration (NF) concentrates the wine without cooling to Induce tartrate salts crystallization and is a potential alternative treatment technology. However, limited information is available to optimize NF into a viable alternative technology for tartrate stabilisation. Research has been undertaken to Investigate the relationship between feed pressure, recovery and rejection rates of four different NF membranes using Semlllon wine. Experiments were performed on a laboratory-scale nanofiltration stirred cell was used. This paper discusses the results obtained from the preliminary study. The results and subsequent analysis demonstrate NF is a viable means for tartrate stabilisation. Furthermore, the outcome of this study enables selection of the most appropriate membrane and operating conditions for the future field trials to be performed at Berri Estates Winery.