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A Technical Guide for Wine Producers
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RECENT ARTICLES | WYNBOER HOME
A CLEAN AND GREEN WINE INDUSTRY
Recycling cellar waste
The vinification process results in various waste products such as skins, seeds, filter cakes consisting of filtration aids and cloudiness, lees or wine per se. During the 2008 harvest in Australia 1,65 million tons of grapes were crushed, producing 200 000 tons of waste from skins and seeds. As a result of international pressure on industries to become more environmentally friendly, wine industries are also compelled to recycle cellar waste products instead of simply dumping them in nature. Responsible recycling of cellar waste products is being promoted by the local IPW system.
Depending on the size of the cellar and the resultant volume of the cellar waste, a decision is usually taken to recycle the waste on site, or to supply other plants with the waste for the development of value added products, in which case such products may be used by various industries. Small cellars often use the skins as a top dressing or for composting the soil, or for animal fodder. If the application of grape skins is not properly managed, however, it may result in the pollution of surface and ground water, the development of off-odours, damage to the natural vegetation and degradation of soils.
In addition to managing cellar waste products efficiently, cellars should heed sustainable consumption of water and energy. This being a comprehensive approach, data management thereof should be a priority. If a cellar does not know how much water and energy is consumed or waste produced, it cannot be managed properly.
The best solution is for wineries to send their waste to companies with the necessary technology to process cellar waste, this being a specialist field, so that the wineries themselves can focus on the vinification of their wines instead. In South Australia the most important waste processing company is Tarac Technologies. Their plants are situated strategically throughout the wine regions and they handle approximately two thirds of the industry’s waste. They process roughly 125 000 tons of grape skins and seeds, 40 million litres of distilling wine and lees and 5 000 tons of filtration cakes into grape alcohol, brandy, tartaric acid, grape seed oil, extract of grape skins and grape tannins. The skins and seeds are classified upon delivery, based on which they will be used for the production of red colourants, grape tannins or alcohol. The end products can be used by various industries. Calcium tartrate, which is used for the production of tartaric acid, is recycled from other residue. The liquid and solid waste deriving from the production processes is used, after treatment, for irrigation of vineyard or pastures, carbon-rich ground cover or animal fodder. For the latter purpose the skins are dried once the residue, grape seeds and oil have been removed or extracted.
The above-mentioned actions ensure that the natural cycle is maintained without contaminating the environment.
Reference
Lindh, K. 2008. Don't waste waste: The options to reuse winery residuals. The Australian & New Zealand Grapegrower & Winemaker, July 2008: 54 - 56.
The article can also be found on the website www.winebiz.com.au.
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