Wine Cellars Research Articles

An assessment of using ground thermal inertia as passive thermal technique in the wine industry around the world

Abstract The main objective of this research is to promote passive thermal design techniques in the construction of wineries. We analyze the suitability of using the thermal inertia of the ground that surrounds underground cellars to provide an adequate ambience for the ageing and conservation of wine. For this purpose, a modelling procedure to simulate the annual temperature cycle inside the cellar was developed. The proposed model was validated using experimental air temperature data from wine cellars in Spain. Many of the main wine-producing regions of the world have been analyzed by means of the model. Results show that underground cellars have advantages for the ageing and conservation of wine in all regions studied because of the thermal inertia of the ground and its ventilation behaviour. By adjusting the depth according to the ground properties and exterior conditions, ideal temperature can be reached inside the cellar without air-conditioning expenses. The modelling procedure and the results data could be a great help in the study and design of new wine cellars or constructions with similar characteristics, making it possible to estimate the indoor temperature and select the location and most suitable parameters.

Killer phenotype of indigenous yeasts isolated from Argentinian wine cellars and their potential starter cultures for winemaking

Of 31 yeasts, from different surfaces of two cellars from the northwest region of Argentina, 11 expressed killer activity against the sensitive strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae P351. Five of these killer yeasts were identified as S. cerevisiae by phenotypic tests and PCR-RFLP analysis. Two S. cerevisiae killer strains, Cf5 and Cf8, were selected based on their excellent kinetic and enological properties as potential autochthonous mixed starter cultures to be used during wine fermentation. They could dominate the natural microbiota in fermentation vats and keep the typical sensorial characteristics of the wine of this region.

Factors of Influence in the Distribution of Mold in the Air in a Wine Cellar

This paper studies the presence of mold in the air of a vinification and ageing wine cellar. The influence of other factors such as the time of year, the sampling point, and the activity being carried out in the cellar has been analyzed. Neither the type of activity being carried out in the cellar nor the temperature or relative humidity fluctuations throughout the year are determining factors in the presence of mold in the air. For this group of microorganisms, the design of the cellar studied is the fundamental factor. Areas with little ventilation favor high levels of relative humidity and, hence, a higher presence of mold in the air. The mold population in these areas is not very diverse, which indicates that colonization by certain types of mold that have adapted to the conditions established therein is permanent. Areas with greater air flow, constant activity, and frequent cleaning show lower mold populations in the air and of a more varied composition. This work shows that given the growing importance of the presence of mold in wine cellars, the design thereof should take into account suitable ventilation of all the areas and control of the relative humidity. Hence, the presence of traditional underground areas for ageing wine, which is justifiable in seasons where temperature and humidity control lead to major technical problems, should be reconsidered in the design of new wine cellars.

Wine production on Istria family farms

Viticulture in Istria is considered as a pillar in the agricultural economy. Wine tourism is present in Istria in the last two decades along with the establishment of wine roads. There are three existing wine roads in Istria. One of the activities on the wine road is wine tasting. From the perspective of the family farms it is a service that offers the farm product (wine) directly to consumers. We questioned farmers on Istrian wine roads and partners in Vinistra (the Istrian association of grape and wine producers) the wine offer and concluded that most wine cellars offer wines like Malvazija istarska and Teran from autochthonous varieties, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon from introduced grape varieties, was examined. Very few wine cellars offered wines like Borgognja, Hrvatica or other. Also issues like consumer’s preferences and possible solutions of enhancing the wine offer and wine roads of Istria in general were referred.

Investigation of environmental radioactivity of wine cellars, watercourse and industrial waste

The aim of the investigations was to determine activity concentration of radioactive isotopes in soil samples collected from different provinces of Hungary. Earlier studies have proved that the (222)Rn activity concentration is higher than permitted in some wine cellars. To investigate the reason for this phenomenon, the activity concentration of soil samples was measured. Analyzing (137)Cs isotope activity in samples collected from the area of a watercourse it was possible to determine the silting-up rate. Activity concentrations were measured for red mud originating from an industrial disaster.

Volatile and sensory characterization of Xarel.lo white wines

ABSTRACTA comprehensive study based on the profiling and quantification of the volatile composition and the application of descriptive sensory analysis of 25 commercial monovarietal white wines (var. Xarel.lo) from different vintages and from representative wine cellars along the Penedés region (Catalonia, Spain) was performed in order to characterize representative wines that are being commercialized under the O.D. Penedés. In addition, relationships between the instrumental (volatile) and sensory variables were found through the application of partial least squares regression. The results showed great differences between younger wines and wines that underwent the crianza (or ageing) process. The first group of wines was characterized by a marked fruity and floral odour and fresh taste, while the second group was characterized by more complex sensory attributes such as toasted, spicy and compote odour attributes. These differences in sensory characteristics were related to a higher content of higher alcohol acetates and ethyl and methyl esters of fatty acids in wines included in the first group, while the second group was characterized by a lower concentration of esters, but higher concentration of compounds related to wine ageing, such as furfural, 5‐methylfurfural and vitispiranes. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Customary rules of the Rajac wine cellars construction

This paper considers the possibility of implementing the customary rules of construction and organization of the Rajac wine cellars, as well as whether and to what extent they have been implemented so far. Wine cellars of the village of Rajac are a unique example of ethno-architecture in the Republic of Serbia and its surrounding. They are under the protection regime as a rare spatial cultural-historical entity, i.e. cultural property of exceptional importance to Serbia. The paper analyzes various elements of spatial development and structure, as well as specific characteristics of construction carried out by migrant workers. Considering that customary rules of construction are found in some other complexes of folk architecture in the immediate and broader surrounding of the Republic of Serbia (Korcula, Dubrovnik and Ilok in the Republic of Croatia), it has been indicated, based on comparative analysis, that it is possible that the same rules as those implemented during the foundation and development of the Rajac wine cellars have also been implemented later during their renovation by introducing new architectural principles through characteristic way of construction of Macedonian craftsmen-builders - migrant workers.

Enhance hydrolytic enzymes production by Aspergillus awamori on supplemented grape pomace

The disposal of grape pomace by wine cellars leads to serious environmental problems. In this work we have evaluated the potential utility of this waste as substrate of fermentation for the production of several hydrolytic enzymes commonly used in the clarification processes in wine cellars and juices industries. Our results have demonstrated that the synthesis of exo-polygalacturonase (exo-PG), xylanase and cellullase by solid state fermentation (SSF) on a mixture of washed grape pomace and orange peels (a natural source of pectin, cellulose and hemicellulose), supplemented with a nutrient solution, increased compared to whole grape pomace. For experiments carried out with suspensions of the same mixed substrates in submerged fermentation (SmF), higher values for pectinase and xylanase were reached but with significant lower exo-PG activity per mL of extract. The activities of these enzymes on mixtures of grape pomace and orange peels, in both SSF and SmF, were similar or even higher to those produced using other agro-industrial wastes, demonstrating therefore its potential utility as an alternative substrate for the production of enzymatic extracts for clarification purposes.

Concentrations of viable airborne fungal spores and trichloroanisole in wine cellars

In wineries, unwanted microorganisms present not only hygienic problems but also have a negative influence on wine quality. An evaluation of Austrian/Styrian wine cellars with regard to the volume and the composition of the mycoflora is very important both for the process of wine production and for occupational safety. Thirty-six wine cellars of 20 vintners were investigated with regard to microorganisms in the air and on material surfaces. Moreover, the presence of trichloroanisole in the air was determined by means of solid-phase micro-extraction. Microorganisms were sampled using the six-stage Andersen-Cascade impactor. The results showed that the concentrations of xerophilic fungi in the air of cellars with large visible mold areas (> 80%) reached values up to 1.4 × 10 4 colony forming units per m³. In the wine cellars fourteen predominant fungal genera were found in the indoor air, the most frequent was Penicillium. Trichloroanisole was detected in the air of wine cellars with large visible moldy patches. The spore concentrations in the cellar air were two times higher in cellars with Zasmidium cellare growth than in cellars without Z. cellare. These results will serve as a database for further studies.

Control of inoculated fermentations in wine cellars by mitochondrial DNA analysis of starter yeast

The main purpose of this work was to test the effective dominance of the inoculated strain during the fermentation process. During this research activity, two Saccharomyces cerevisiae selected strains, isolated from Aglianico del Vulture grapes, were tested during inoculated fermentations at pilot scale in three wine cellars producing Aglianico del Vulture wine and characterized by different typologies. Yeast colonies sampled during the processes of fermentation were identified by restriction analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, and S. cerevisiae strains were differentiated by restriction fragment length polymorphism of mitochondrial DNA (RFLP-mtDNA). Analysis of the yeast population during the inoculated fermentations evidenced a significant presence of non-Saccharomyces, which varied with the cellar. The presence of non-Saccharomyces yeasts at different levels affected the aromatic composition of the experimental wines, as determined by gas-chromatographic analysis. The RFLP-mtDNA of S. cerevisiae isolates revealed the differing dominance of inoculated strains as a function of the wine cellar. In two cellars, all the isolates showed the same restriction profile, which was identical to that of the starter pattern. In contrast, in the third cellar, a significant percentage of S. cerevisiae isolates exhibited mtDNA-RFLP patterns different from the yeast starter profile, showing that, in this case, the starter exhibited low dominance in the fermentation. Our results demonstrate that, although the inoculated strains were found with high frequency, other yeasts (S. cerevisiae and non-Saccharomyces) developed, contributing to the fermentative process and to organoleptic quality of the final wine.

Catching-Up Trajectories in the Wine Sector: A Comparative Study of Chile, Italy and South Africa

Up to the end of the 1980s, European countries, and particularly France and Italy, dominated the international market for wine. Since the beginning of the 1990s, their supremacy has been under attack due to the spectacular performance in terms of both exported volumes and values, of new international players. The so-called ‘New World’ countries eroding the long established position of traditional (Old World) producers, includes affluent nations that are relatively new to the wine sector such as USA and Australia, and less developed countries such as Chile, Argentina and South Africa. From a development perspective, an investigation of the changes occurring in the wine industry is of particular interest, as it provides empirical evidence on how some emerging economies have been able to acquire significant shares of the international market in a dynamic sector. In the wine industry, a number of different factors have contributed to the emergence in the international market of New World wines. On the supply side, a process of technological modernization and pervasive organizational change has been spurred by consistent investment and research effort in the new producing countries and supported by the establishment of specialized research institutions. The demand side has also been important in the wine industry’s evolutionary trajectory, with New World players being particularly responsive to changes in wine consumption habits across the world, and aligning emerging scientific approaches and institutional building efforts with their branding and marketing strategies.Given the multiplicity of factors involved in the evolution of the wine industry, a SSI approach provides a useful analytical framework for interpreting its trajectory and the New World catch up experiences. In this paper, the catching up process in the wine industry is investigated through comparative analysis of two emerging countries - Chile and South Africa - and a long established Italian wine region - Piedmont, which provides new empirical evidence on academic researchers and wine cellars in these three areas.We argue that the emergence of New World producers has been favoured by significant discontinuities in both technologies and market demand and implies a co-evolution of physical and ‘social’ technologies, that is, of formal and informal institutions supporting the adoption of knowledge oriented procedures and a novel division of labour among the main industry players. The rapid adoption of a scientific approach to a rather traditional industry, and co-ordination between research communities and wineries, has spurred New World performance.This perspective shows that catch up experience in the wine industry significantly differs from successful catch up trajectories in other industries: in the wine sector the emerging countries have been driving the process of technological modernization and product standardization, rather than focusing on market niches. At the same time, the wine industry case provides support for the argument that access to foreign knowledge is crucial for catching up and sustaining diverse development trajectories. Our investigation of the different dimensions of the wine sectoral system demonstrates the variety of strategies and growth paths involved. The analysis highlights the main differences between latecomers and established countries, while at the same time pointing to the persisting heterogeneity among catching up countries. Overall, this paper contributes to the literature on catching up by providing new empirical evidence that, under certain conditions, latecomers can successfully catch up with leaders. The analysis provides useful insights into the strategies that emerging economies might implement to foster sectoral level growth, and suggests, more broadly, that the agro-food sector can significantly contribute to the development of these economies.

New uses for old traditional farm buildings: The case of the underground wine cellars in Spain

Traditional buildings are important features of the rural landscape and a valuable documental source about rural technology and ways of life in the countryside. For the last 60 years many traditional farm buildings have lost their original function because of the great changes in the European agricultural sector. Their respectful conversion to adopt new activities provides economic, socio-cultural and landscape benefits for promoters and the whole rural community. Traditional wine caves used for the production and storage of wine are particular good examples of redundant rural buildings needing for viable new uses. The aims of this paper are to present the architectural features of these agro-industrial spaces and to discuss suitable new uses for them. The technical, socioeconomic and legal contexts of the reuse are also examined in the paper. The use of traditional wine cellars in the production of high-quality artisanal wines, cheeses and cured meats, for cultural activities, as restaurants, or in the production of mushrooms, among others, are viable reuse proposals according to the current needs in the Mediterranean rural areas. Nevertheless, special care must be taken when restoring these spaces in order to respect the identity and the aesthetic appeal of the ancient cellars and not to come into conflict with the planning and building regulations.

The Judgment of Paris According to Borda

We use the Borda Count, the only non-dictatorial positional voting method that satisfies the criteria for a rational decision procedure while using the complete information provided in the ranking of each voter, to determine the outcome of the 1976 Judgment of Paris tastings. The surprising result is that a French wine, Château Haut-Brion 1970, is the Borda winner of the red wine competition and not the Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 1973 from California as announced. The declared winner of the Chardonnay competition, Chateau Montelena Chardonnay 1973, a California wine, is also the Borda winner.

Seasonal analysis of the thermal behaviour of traditional underground wine cellars in Spain

Traditional underground wine cellars are a good example of bioclimatic construction, providing optimum conditions for maturing wine with no energy consumption. This article studies the annual thermal behaviour of traditional underground wine cellars in one of the most well-known wine producing areas in Spain, the Ribera del Duero. For this we have applied a method based on multiple regression analysis using experimental data monitored for 1 year. The results show that the interior air temperature is fundamentally conditioned by the undisturbed temperature of the ground at the average depth of the wine cellar and by the temperature of the outside air ( R 2 varies between 0.937 and 0.974, with an average of 0.964 for the three wine cellars studied). However, the stability of the wine cellar during changes of outside temperature differs according to the time of year. In the spring and summer, the stability is excellent and the influence of the ground temperature is much greater than that of the outside air temperature (beta coefficient for the ground temperature is 0.85 compared to 0.17 for the outside air temperature). In the autumn and winter, the stability of the wine cellar is reduced by the increased ventilation, reducing the influence of the ground temperature ( β = 0.70) and increasing that of the outside air ( β = 0.42).

SAFETY IN WINE CELLARS: THE SITUATION IN FRIULI-VENEZIA GIULIA, ITALY

The objective of the present work was to set up a method of analysis of the safety levels in the wine industry, using a check list to carry out a survey on 30 wineries located in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. The checklist, based on previous studies, included more than 500 items, divided into 5 main areas: A) Buildings and workplaces; B) Machinery; C) Logistics; D) Boiler room, electricity plants and fire prevention systems; E) Noise and vibrations. The classification of each of the items was based on risk frequency and seriousness of damage. In order to obtain a value as a whole, different points were assigned to each of them. The results of this work shows that workers are exposed to a variety of hazards and one of the highest scores is connected to machinery. Some of these accidents occur because machines are used for a purpose for which they are unsuitable; others because security systems have not been provided or have been taken off. Other risk areas are the fuel tank or the exhaust oil stocking room. Indoors, the most hazardous areas are the grape unloading and the workshop one. Another result was that the older wine cellars are the most dangerous. The check list can become an important instrument for prevention and a useful tool to test safety levels of the working environment.

The determination of titratable acidity and total tannins in red wine

Titration acidity and content of total tannins in mass-market red wines are analyzed in this paper. The content of total acids in wine, expressed through wine acid, was analyzed by potentiometric titration on 7.00 pH value. According to titratable acidity in analyzed wines, all wines (only) with analyzed parameters according to Regulations about wine quality. The analysis of differential potentiometric curves shows that these curves can give the answer to the question if non organic substances, amino groups and phenols are present in wine in large quantity, as they are always present in wine. However it doesn't give the clear answer which substances are present in analyzed samples. The answer to this question can be received only by the method of ionic chromatography. The content of total tannins shows short time of storage in wine cellars so wine wasn't stored long enough, i.e. they are commercial wines made for mass market production and consumption. Although they have less content of total tannin materials of given values, wine taste gives the correlation with other polyphenol materials that only give odour, aroma and 'bouquet' to wine. The relative error of mean value is very low which indicates the reproduction of results and reliability of the method of determination of total tannins in red wine.

The effect of traditional wind vents called zarceras on the hygrothermal behaviour of underground wine cellars in Spain

This paper studies the hygrothermal behaviour of traditional underground wine cellars in one of the most important wine growing areas of Spain, the Ribera del Duero, paying special attention to the effects of traditional wind vents called zarceras. The purpose is to highlight energy-saving practices that aid the design and renovation of similar constructions. This was carried out by monitoring the temperature and relative humidity inside two wine cellars of similar properties throughout 2007, one with a zarcera and the other without. The results of the analysis show that the existence of the wind vent does not increase the ventilation from May to August. On the other hand, from September to March, the zarcera favours ventilation, affecting both temperature and relative humidity. The interior temperature is more greatly affected by the exterior temperature, giving rise to greater variations, although this difference is of little importance for maturing wine (annual variation 2.5 °C more than the cellar without a zarcera). The interior relative humidity is reduced, reducing the risk of condensation and problems of mould (the cellar without a zarcera reached excessively high values, 97% as an annual average, compared to 91% in the cellar with a zarcera). Thus the existence of zarceras in underground cellars improves the overall hygrothermal behaviour, providing suitable conditions for maturing wine without air conditioning systems, an advisable element in the building of new underground wine cellars.

Comparative genomics of wild type yeast strains unveils important genome diversity

BackgroundGenome variability generates phenotypic heterogeneity and is of relevance for adaptation to environmental change, but the extent of such variability in natural populations is still poorly understood. For example, selected Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains are variable at the ploidy level, have gene amplifications, changes in chromosome copy number, and gross chromosomal rearrangements. This suggests that genome plasticity provides important genetic diversity upon which natural selection mechanisms can operate.ResultsIn this study, we have used wild-type S. cerevisiae (yeast) strains to investigate genome variation in natural and artificial environments. We have used comparative genome hybridization on array (aCGH) to characterize the genome variability of 16 yeast strains, of laboratory and commercial origin, isolated from vineyards and wine cellars, and from opportunistic human infections. Interestingly, sub-telomeric instability was associated with the clinical phenotype, while Ty element insertion regions determined genomic differences of natural wine fermentation strains. Copy number depletion of ASP3 and YRF1 genes was found in all wild-type strains. Other gene families involved in transmembrane transport, sugar and alcohol metabolism or drug resistance had copy number changes, which also distinguished wine from clinical isolates.ConclusionWe have isolated and genotyped more than 1000 yeast strains from natural environments and carried out an aCGH analysis of 16 strains representative of distinct genotype clusters. Important genomic variability was identified between these strains, in particular in sub-telomeric regions and in Ty-element insertion sites, suggesting that this type of genome variability is the main source of genetic diversity in natural populations of yeast. The data highlights the usefulness of yeast as a model system to unravel intraspecific natural genome diversity and to elucidate how natural selection shapes the yeast genome.

Electronic nose for wine ageing detection

This paper reports a novel application of an electronic nose (e-nose) for recognition and detection of wine ageing. Two different measurements are performed with the following samples: first, in an experimental cellar the same wine is aged in different type of oak barrel (French and American oak) and during different time (0, 3, 6 and 12 months) and second, several wines made with the same grape variety and from different wine cellars aged in French and American oak. This identification has a great importance for origin denominations for control of frauds. The e-nose is home-developed and home-fabricated for this purpose: a tin oxide multisensor prepared with RF sputtering onto an alumina substrate and doped with chromium and indium is used. The sampling method employed is static headspace followed by a dynamic injection. Linear techniques like principal component analysis (PCA) and nonlinear ones like probabilistic neural networks (PNN) are used for pattern recognition. A classification success rate (correct predicted number over total number of measurements) of 97% and 84% is achieved in detection of the different ageing process experimented by the wines tested.

Chilling Allahabad: Climate Control and the Production of Anglicized Weather in Early Modern India

I want to begin with two stories about ice. Benigne Poissenot described his encounter with a glaciere in his Nouvelles histoires tragiques (1586). Passing through Jura region of France in June of 1584, he stopped at city of Besancon and was offered wine chilled with for his refreshment. In spite of fact that effects of radical climate changes characterizing sixteenth- century Europe were common knowledge-effects that included unusually long winters and prolonged periods of cold that extended well into spring and summer months-Poissenot found idea of an endless supply of summer something truly marvelous, particularly for luxurious purposes. He longed to see for himself sources of this wondrous store of ice, and was taken to Froidiere de Chaux, through dense woods on twisting paths to opening of enormous cave, . . a place so terrifying that he was reminded of what is said to be St. Patrick's hole in Hibernia. Nevertheless he drew his sword and entered cavern paved with ice, and with crystal-clear water, colder than that of mount Arcadia Nonacris (qtd. in Ladurie 138). His reaction to cave, however, was primarily of terror:Whenever I looked upwards my whole body shuddered with fear and my hair stood up on my head, seeing all upper part of cave covered with blocks of ice, least of which falling on me would have been enough to dash out my brains and tear me in pieces: so much so that I was like criminal whose punishment in Hell was to have a big stone continually threatening to fall on him. (qtd. in Ladurie 138-39)Not an isolated historical instance, successive travelers stumbled across this refrigerator that continued to supply people of Besancon with to cool their wine cellars. In fact, Froidiere de Chaux was still steadily exploited for its until a disastrous flood in 1910 appeared to dissolve its reservoirs and reformed again (Ladurie 140).Some two hundred years later, Sir Robert Barker, Fellow of Royal Society, adventurer, observer, and early modern climatologist, had a similar experience in Allahabad, where he was regaled with sherbets and iced creams when the thermometer has stood at 112° (Barker 257). Barker's reaction to availability of extreme heats of summer was far different from Poissenot's. Unlike glaciere shown to Poissenot, Barker had never heard of any persons having discovered in pools or cisterns, or in any waters collected in roads (252). In a letter to Royal Society, he begged permission to present you with method by which [ice-making] was performed at Allahabad, Mootegil, and Calcutta (252). He describes process by which porous clay vessels of water, buried in pits filled with reeds, salt, and saltpeter, came to provide for these cities:From these circumstances it appears, that water, by being placed in a situation free from receiving heat from other bodies, and exposed in large surfaces to air, may be brought to freeze when temperature of atmosphere is some degrees above freezing point on scale of FAHRENHEIT'S thermometer; and by being collected and amassed into a large body, it is thus preserved, and rendered fit for freezing other fluids, severe heats of summer season. (256)Unlike Poissenot's cautious approach to caves of Jura, Barker was eager to observe foreign practices of icemaking, and while he muses that during [his] residence in that quarter of globe, [he] saw any ice (255), somehow this absence of a natural explanation seemed perfectly sensible to him. While Poissenot expresses himself to be burning with desire to be shown great stalactites of ice in Froidiere de Chaux, he interprets actual sight of this cave and its source of both as a threat and as a form of criminal trespass (qtd. …