hot bottling

After ageing in stainless steel tanks, barrels, etc., the wine is bottled. Legal requirements must be fulfilled in good time before this, i.e. the submission for the official test number (Germany) or state test number (Austria). From this point onwards, various changes may no longer be made. The wine must be chemically and physically stable, which is achieved through various measures (see also Schönen). Sulphurisation takes place some time before bottling to prevent oxidation in the bottle. To check the protein stability, a sample is heated to over 70 °Celsius for two to three hours and then checked for protein turbidity. Tartaric stability is achieved by adding metatartaric acid.

GAI bottling system

The picture shows a compact bottling system from the Italian bottling system manufacturer GAI. It consists of the components bottle ejector, deaeration station, gravity filler, gas injector and capping station (optionally for cork or screw cap) with an output of up to 2,400 bottles per hour (1.5 seconds per bottle). The video (click to view) shows the filling line at the Austrian Scheiblhofer winery (Andau, Neusiedlersee wine-growing region in Burgenland) from bottling to labelling and packaging in cartons. At the bottom is the bottling line at the Krems Agricultural College for Viticulture and Fruit Growing in Lower Austria.

Choice of closure system

For used bottles, thorough cleaning, disinfection or sterilisation is an absolute prerequisite against harmful microorganisms such as acetobacter (acetic acid bacteria), yeasts or moulds. Ozone, peroxyacetic acid, sulphur dioxide or hydrogen peroxide...