Solutions for Your Wonderful Wine

Importance of the topic

Wine analysis plays a pivotal role in the beverage industry, ensuring product quality, regulatory compliance, and consumer safety. Accurate measurement of parameters such as alcohol content, density, turbidity, pH, and dissolved gases is essential for process control, consistent flavor profiles, and efficient resource utilization. Advanced analytical solutions enable winemakers to optimize fermentation, filtration, stabilization, and bottling steps, reducing waste and maintaining premium standards.

Objectives and Study Overview

This overview presents a comprehensive portfolio of laboratory, benchtop, portable, and inline instruments designed for wine analysis. The goal is to deliver fast, precise, and automated measurements across over 15 key quality parameters. By integrating user-friendly interfaces, sample changers, and centralized software, these solutions aim to streamline quality control from must assessment to final bottling.

Methodology and Instrumentation

Various measurement principles are employed:

• Density measurement via a handmade glass U-tube and patented Pulsed Excitation Method for high accuracy and repeatability.
• Selective alcohol determination without distillation using Alcolyzer technology and NIR or FTIR spectroscopy (Lyza 5000 Wine).
• Turbidity assessment through multi-angle scattered light detection compliant with EBC, MEBAK, and OIV standards (Haze 3001).
• pH determination modules (pH 3101/3201) with automatic CO₂ correction for beverages under pressure.
• Dissolved CO₂ and O₂ analysis using CarboQC ME and optochemical sensors.
• Automation enabled by Xsample sample changers (320, 520) and AP Connect lab execution software for paperless data management.
• Portable quality control with the DMA 35 handheld density meter for in-field measurements.

Main Results and Discussion

The integrated solutions achieve rapid analysis times and market-leading precision:

• Density results in 20 seconds with 4-digit accuracy (up to 6-digit in high-end models).
• Alcohol determination in under 3 minutes at <0.1 % v/v accuracy, ten times faster than distillation.
• FTIR-based Lyza 5000 Wine delivers 15+ parameters in under one minute.
• Automated workflows enable sequential measurement of up to 48 samples, minimizing human error.
• Guided software and live cell-view imaging (U-View™) reduce training time and ensure correct sample handling (FillingCheck™).

Benefits and Practical Applications

The analytical portfolio supports critical process steps:

• Must analysis for ripeness, sugar content, and nitrogen levels to guide harvesting and chaptalization.
• Fermentation control by monitoring density, alcohol, pH, and dissolved gases for consistent end-points.
• Filtration monitoring to guarantee clarity, mouthfeel, and microbial stability.
• Stabilization and storage assessments to confirm specification compliance and tax reporting.
• Bottling checks ensuring legal requirements are met and product uniformity is maintained.

Future Trends and Potential Applications

The digital transformation of wine analytics will focus on:

• Inline sensor networks for real-time process monitoring and control.
• Expanded automation and sample throughput through advanced robotics and cloud-based data platforms.
• Enhanced user interfaces mimicking smartphone experiences to reduce operator training.
• Integration of artificial intelligence for predictive quality modeling and anomaly detection.
• Global service networks and extended warranties to maximize instrument uptime and ROI.

Conclusion

Comprehensive analytical solutions for wine combine high-precision measurement technologies, automation, and intuitive software to ensure product quality and operational efficiency. From laboratory benchtop devices to portable and inline systems, these instruments support every stage of winemaking. The shift towards digital, paperless laboratories and inline integration promises further gains in speed, accuracy, and sustainability.

Used Instrumentation

• DMA 35 Portable Density Meter
• DMA 4101, 4501, 5001 Benchtop Density Meters
• Alcolyzer M Wine and Alcolyzer 3001
• Alex 500 Alcohol and Extract Meter
• Lyza 5000 Wine FTIR Analyzer
• Haze 3001 Turbidity Meter
• pH 3101 and pH 3201 Measurement Modules
• CarboQC ME with O₂ Plus Module
• Xsample 320 and 520 Sample Changers
• AP Connect Lab Execution Software