Overview
Low-alcohol or alcohol-free wines represent an interesting market niche that is constantly growing. Regulatory constraints on one side and the need for high-quality products on the other require advanced technological solutions for the extensive dealcoholization of wine. Omnia Technologies’ solution is called Libero Wine, a two-stage system that allows a “mild” treatment of wine and the recovery of vegetation water.
Massimo Pivetta, Sales Director Wine at Omnia Technologies, and Daniele D’Oria, Business Unit Leader at Permeare, delve into the technical details and application potential of the system, considering both European and Italian regulations.
The technical characteristics of the system
Libero Wine is divided into two stages, the first of which aims to separate all the wine components (aromatic substances, organic acids, polyphenols, tannins, etc.) from the water and alcohol fractions through membrane separation. In the second stage, water is separated from alcohol and recovered to be recombined with the retentate, which includes everything retained in the first phase.
“In developing the system,” explains D’Oria, “the choice of molecular separation membranes that can retain as many of the wine’s components as possible was crucial. These are composite membranes created by layering different polymers. They have the ability to retain low-molecular-weight compounds while allowing small polar molecules like water and alcohol to pass through. The process temperature is a key point for optimal results. Our tests were conducted with the goal of operating at cellar temperatures, between 20 and 25 °C, where the best performance is achieved.”
Pivetta elaborates on the second stage: “The permeate (what passes through the membrane pores) is transferred to a column where alcohol and water are separated. The latter, nearly alcohol-free, can be reintroduced into the retentate, restoring it to its original volume. It is not a true distillation column but a scrubbing column, consisting of special components that allow for separation at low temperatures, around 30-35 °C. It’s important to note that the alcohol that is separated is of very high quality, with a purity of 70-80%, and can be used for various purposes, even prestigious ones, such as the production of spirits. Unfortunately, however, the draft of the Italian decree only permits industrial use of this alcohol, which significantly reduces its value.”
Key Strengths: flexibility and product quality
“Con la nostra tecnologia si riescono a ottenere i diversi livelli di dealcolazione desiderati – sottolinea D’Oria – quello che cambia sono ovviamente i rendimenti perché la portata diminuisce in maniera considerevole se si passa da una dealcolazione parziale a una dealcolazione sempre più spinta”. Un altro motivo per cui il sistema si dimostra flessibile sta nella capacità di integrarsi nelle diverse realtà produttive, in quanto la casa produttrice è in grado di adattarlo alle specifiche esigenze degli utilizzatori. Ulteriore punto di forza è l’elevata qualità dei prodotti che si ottengono. “Questo è un aspetto che differenzia enormemente la nostra tecnologia da quelle più tradizionali, basate sull’impiego di calore, il quale inevitabilmente altera le caratteristiche sensoriali del vino, generando il cosiddetto sapore di cotto – puntualizzano Pivetta e D’Oria – un rischio che con il nostro sistema non si corre”.
“With our technology, different levels of dealcoholization can be achieved,” D’Oria emphasizes, “the difference being in the yields, as the throughput decreases considerably when moving from partial to more extensive dealcoholization.” Another reason for the system’s flexibility lies in its ability to integrate into different production environments, as the manufacturer can adapt it to the specific needs of users. Another strength is the high quality of the products obtained. “This is an aspect that greatly differentiates our technology from more traditional ones, which rely on heat and inevitably alter the sensory characteristics of the wine, creating the so-called ‘cooked’ flavor,” Pivetta and D’Oria point out—“a risk that is avoided with our system.”
The most suitable wines and market prospects
“Alcohol, in addition to carrying aromas, plays an important role in mouthfeel, contributing to the wine’s palatability and the sensation of roundness it gives in the mouth,” says Pivetta. “Removing alcohol, therefore, has a significant impact on sensory perception, and not all wines are suited for it. For instance, overly acidic wines become undrinkable. Equally important are the aromatic characteristics of the base wine: the more pronounced they are, the better the result. The presence of CO2 is also crucial as it makes the product much more balanced. We’ve found this through numerous tests with different wines. For example, Pinot Noir, both white and rosé, when dealcoholized using our technology, gives fascinating results, while red wines, in general, present more challenges.”
Partially or fully dealcoholized wines, as well as low- or zero-alcohol wine-based beverages, do not represent an alternative to wine but rather complement it by meeting the demand of those consumers who, for various reasons, do not turn to wine. “These products are experiencing a very interesting growth trend, even if they are still niche,” they add. “It is a new market that is emerging, and we are very interested in it. Additionally, considering the issue of wine stockpiling in the wine sector, which is increasingly significant year by year, it is useful to find an alternative destination for traditional products.”
Future projects with a common denominator: sustainability
Another advantage of Omnia Technologies’ dealcoholization system that emerged during the interview is its low energy consumption compared to traditional systems, which rely on heat. The reduction in consumption has benefits not only economically but also environmentally, a topic of growing interest. It is included in the Group’s sustainability plan, around which all product innovation revolves.
Several projects are currently being developed or launched: a bottling system that drastically reduces the presence of oxygen, an intelligent fermentation solution that simplifies the fermentation process, and a distillery that integrates heat recovery technology capable of reducingCO2 emissions by up to 70%.
Do you want to discover more?
Join us on November 12th at 3:30 PM at SIMEI 2024, where Davide Carlet, Sales Manager of Permeare, will dive into the details of the technology and explore its potential applications in today’s evolving wine market.
Click here to book your spot!