Workshop will feature latest wine technology

By Brent VonCannon
The Collegian

Winemakers, winery production personnel and other interested parties will have the opportunity to learn about the newest technology in winemaking when the Pall Corporation comes to Fresno State’s winery for a workshop Dec. 6.

It will also be a good opportunity for those involved in the business to get together, share their collective insights and learn from experts in the field on a variety of filtration processes.

“The presentation covers the basics of filtration and carries on into the main unit that will be demonstrated, crossflow microfiltration,” said Ken Fugelsang, winemaster and associate professor of enology at Fresno State. Crossflow microfiltration is a process that filters wines and juices with high levels of solids to a water-like clarity.

“We were the first to demonstrate it back in 2001,” Fugelsang said of the process, in which a Pall filter was used. The technology has been employed in the United States only since around that time.

Pall Corporation, based in New York, specializes in filtration systems for a wide variety of industrial uses beyond alcoholic beverages, including air filtration for the aerospace industry, filtration for municipal water treatment and filtration for ingredients in biopharmaceutical products.

As a result, there should be plenty of other industry groups represented at the workshop, Fugelsang said. Pall Corporation is a company that deals with filtration, separation and purification.

These filtration technologies are essential to many industries. As it relates to making wine, Pall products remove yeast and most bacteria during the pre-bottling stage, eliminating contaminants that can cause spoilage without affecting the wine’s unique flavor and characteristics.

No stranger to Fresno State and its first-in-the-nation commercially-run college winery, Pall Corporation has sent representatives to the campus for the last five years. This year, showcased processes will include the crossflow microfiltration, as well as depth filtration, sheet and module filtration, sterile filtration, filter handling, integrity testing and winery wastewater.

The workshop begins at 8:30 a.m. at the winery, located at the north side of the corner of Maple and Barstow. The Department of Viticulture and Enology, and the Viticulture and Enology Research Center are sponsoring the Pall Corporation’s presentation.

Attendance is free following registration. Pre-registration forms are available online at http://cast.csufresno.edu/ve, and can be faxed to 559-278-4795, or interested parties can register on site. Fugelsang added that if registration is closed, those interested should contact Cynthia Wood at the Viticulture and Enology Research Center.

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