The addition of protein based fining agents to white wines might also affect protein stability. If required, which fining agent should I use? A control, where no addition is made, should always be set up so that the sensory effect of the addition can be assessed. It is essential that identical components used in the cellar for the finished wine is replicated in the laboratory trials. It is important, however, that sufficient fining agent is added when the prime purpose of fining is to achieve stability and/or to remove undesirable sensory characters. What is the best way to apply fining agents?įining should be carried out only when necessary and using lower rather than higher addition rates, as it is possible to remove positive flavour characteristics.
It is advisable to trial several agents in the laboratory, before addition in the cellar, as their effect will vary with wine style. Selecting the appropriate fining agent for a given wine or juice depends on many factors: the most important being the destination market of the wine and the wine style sought by the winemaker. Some of the most commonly-used and permitted fining agents for wine are: What are some of the most commonly-used fining agents? For further information, please contact the AWRI helpdesk. For specific details on an additive or processing aid permitted in a country, please refer to the country’s regulations. This database doesn’t provide a complete list of all the countries to which Australia exports wine but those which have made available their winemaking regulations. You can search the AWRI’s database of ‘Permitted additives and processing aids’ available on here. How do I know what fining agents are permitted to be added to my juice or wine? The fining agent reacts with wine components either chemically or physically, to form a new complex that can separate from the wine. The purpose of adding a fining agent preparation to wine is to soften or reduce its astringency and/or bitterness remove proteins capable of haze formation or reduce colour by the adsorption and precipitation of polymeric phenols and tannins.
What is the purpose of using a fining agent?