The NCWGA meeting will be held Feb 2-4 with talks and workshops on viticulture, enology, and the business of wine. Dr. Joy Ting, the research enologist for the WRE will be speaking on Feb 3 at at 10AM on the topic of Modern Protein Stabilization
Some of the compounds that protect grapes from fungal attack are also the most unstable proteins in wine, leading to the necessity for very high rates of bentonite addition to achieve stability during bottling. With increased use of biopesticides and specialized breeding for more resistant varieties, as well as growing popularity of tartrate inhibitors, it has become more important for winemakers to understand protein instabilty, its causes and treatments. In this talk, Dr. Ting will discuss what we know about protein instability, what that means for winemaking decisions, and some approaches to protein stabilization that have been tested in practical experimentation through the Virginia Winemakers Research Exchange.