Preventing reduction in sparkling wine: key fermentation strategies and innovative solutions

The origin of reduction defect in wines is in alcoholic fermentation, when sulfur compounds’ production and accumulation can start. A critical management of fermentation could then lead to a trouble really hard to solve in the following phases of production.

So it’s crucial to prevent rather than cure it, starting from the first fermentation and carrying timely out proper strategies as:

1. Choice of a yeast strain genetically predisposed to grant low release and fast metabobilisation of H₂S:

• Fervens Spring stands out for its great aptitude in limiting SO₂ and acetaldehyde production but especially in minimising H₂S release
• Fervens Twenty is a perfect balance between in cost-efficiency, fermentation’s assurance and low SO₂, acetaldehyde ed H₂S release 

2. Nutrition plan focused in providing all the necessary compounds to allow the yeast to bind most of the free H₂S, that is the main responsible of reduction but at the same time is a key factor in the biochemical pathway for the synthesis of sulfur amino acids. Lack of YAN, directly involved in the same pathway, is crucial for the starting of the trouble.

Moreover, it’s also strictly necessary to provide all the other essential compounds to grant an optimal metabolism of yeast and so indirectly involved in avoiding reduction (vitamins, oligoelements and sterols)

wynTube Full, is a complete product in MiniTubes shape, suitable in every fermentation phase. It provides both inorganic and amino acid Nitrogen, a wide range of B-Group vitamins (Thiamine, Biotine, Pantothenate), oliogoelements like Zn and Mg, sterols and cellulose

Vitalyeast is a 100% organic product, suitable both for first and second fermentation, estremely rich in Sterols and with a balanced content of all the other important nutritional factors. Thank to the totally amino acid Nitrogen, it’s easily assimilated by yeast also in the final part of the fermentation, granting metabolic efficiency even in the most critical stages (high alcohol, low sugars, pressure)

3. Specific actions to put in place during first and second fermentation, taking advantage of the ability of specific yeast derivates and wood origin tannins in binding steadily sulfur compounds and hiding their smell.

For this purpose, Dal Cin developed Lifty, innovative range of granular oenological products that combines prevention of defect and aromatic enhancement of wines, taking advantage of properties of tannins extracted from wood of different botanical species (Acacia, Cherry and Oak). 

Almost totally insoluble, their structure is granted by a core of a special ultra-high surface cellulose that conveys the active substances and in the meanwhile boosts the yeast metabolism through absorbtion of inhibitors like medium chain fatty acids.

Already at 3-5 g/hl they can easily replace 0,2 mg/l of Copper

Finally, another greatly effective product is Infinity Vert, condensed tannin from tea, also known for its high antioxidant power and already effective at 0,5-2 g/hl.

More information about DalCin: https://dalcin.com/en/#