II.6.1 Oenological specific practices for aromatised wines, beverages based on vitivinicultural products and wines-based beverages

II.6.1.0 General remarks

The practices defined in the International Code of oenological practices for wines, are applied to aromatised wines, beverages based on vitivinicultural products and wine-based beverages.

Subject to compliance with the definitions of the OIV International Code of Oenological Practices concerning them, the wine or special wine, grape must, partially fermented grape must and/or must of fresh grape must fermented until alcohol, may, during the preparation process of aromatised wines, beverages based on vitivinicultural products and wine-based beverages, undergo the following treatments:

II.6.1.1 Sweetening

Definition:

Addition of sweeteners.

Objectives:

Balancing of taste properties of the product.

Prescription:

By sweetening, one intends the use of one or more of the following substances:

A)

• concentrated, rectified grape must
• concentrated grape must, fresh grape must
• semi-white sugar
• white sugar
• refined white sugar
• dextrose
• fructose
• glucose syrup
• inverted liquid sugar
• inverted liquid sugar syrup
• caramel (it means the product obtained by controlled heating of saccharose without the addition of bases, mineral acids or other chemical additives).
• Honey
• carob sugar
• other glucidic substances having similar effect to that of products listed above.

B)

• other sweeteners having similar effect to that of products listed above, in accordance with the regulations of producing and consumer countries.

Recommendation of the OIV:

• aromatised wines: admitted for substances listed at paragraph A
• Beverages based on vitivinicultural products and wine-based beverages: admitted for substances listed at paragraphs A and B.

II.6.1.2 Colour

Definition:

Addition of caramel or colouring admitted.

Objectives:

Giving to the product the specific desired colour.

Prescription:

Colour is the use of one or more colouring substances admitted in the food regulation of producing and customer countries. The colours can be divided in:

a)        caramel and one or more substances giving yellow and/or red colour

b)       other colouring substances.

Recommendation of the OIV:

• aromatised wines: admitted for substances listed at paragraph A
• Beverages based on vitivinicultural products and wine-based beverages: admitted for substances listed at paragraphs A and B.

II.6.1.3 Flavouring

Definition:

Addition of flavouring and/or tasty ingredients.

Objectives:

To give the product particular organoleptic properties, including bitterness.

Prescription:

Flavouring is the use of:

a)        flavouring substances and/or flavouring preparations and/or other flavours defined as follows:

1. “flavouring substance”: a defined chemical substance which has flavouring properties
2. “natural flavouring substance”: a flavouring substance obtained by appropriate physical processes (including distillation and food solvent extraction) or by enzymatic or microbiological processes from plant or animal material, at its natural state or after its transformation for human consumption by means of food preparation traditional processes (including drying, roasting and fermentation);
3. “flavouring preparation”: a product other than a flavouring substance with  flavouring properties and obtained by appropriate physical processes (including distillation and food solvent extraction) or by enzymatic or microbiological processes, by traditional food preparation processes (including drying, roasting and fermentation) from plant or animal material, at its natural state or after its transformation for human consumption;
4. “other flavours”: chemical compound, obtained by chemical synthesis or purification processes, having flavouring properties and meant for food regulation of producing and customer countries. In order to flavour aromatised wines, beverages based on vitivinicultural products and wine-based products, flavours can be divided into:
   1.      flavours exactly alike compounds naturally contained in plants and/or animal products, such as vanillin or mixture of flavouring substances identical to natural compounds,
   2.      other artificial flavours;

b)       herbs and/or spices and/or fruits or vegetable parts and/or tasty food. 

Recommendation of the OIV:

• aromatised wines:  admitted for the flavourings mentioned in a).2, a.3, a.4.1 and b).
• Beverages based on vitivinicultural products and wine-based beverages: admitted.

II.6.1.4 Addition of alcohol

Definition:

Addition of one or more products  among the following ones:

• ethyl alcohol of vitivinicultural origin and ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin
• wine distillate

Objectives:

increasing the alcoholic strength of the product and its stability

dilute or dissolve colourants, flavourings or any other authorized additives

Prescription:

The ethyl alcohol of vitivinicultural and/or agricultural origin and the wine distillate must satisfy the treatment conditions set by this Code as well as the prescriptions of the International oenological Codex.

Recommendation of the OIV:

• Admitted for aromatised wines;
• Not admitted for beverages based on vitivinicultural products and wine-based beverages for the objective foreseen in

a)        but admitted for the objective foreseen in

b)       b) only in the doses strictly necessary to dilute or dissolve colourants, flavourings or any other authorized additives.

II.6.1.5 Water addition

Definition:

Water addition.

Objectives:

• preparing flavouring essences
• dissolving colours and sweeteners
• setting the final composition of the product.

Prescription:

The water added must respect WHO prescriptions and, if necessary, can be treated to remove dissolved salts.

Recommendation of the OIV:

Admitted for aromatised wines, beverages based on vitivinicultural products and wine-based beverages.

II.6.1.6 Chemical acidification

Definition:

Increasing titration acidity and real acidity (pH lowering) of aromatised wines, beverages based on vitivinicultural products and wine-based beverages by means of organic acids addiction.

Objectives:

Giving the desired tasting properties to the product.

Prescription:

a)        Only L and D lactic, L-malic, L-tartaric and citric acid are admitted to be used,

b)       Acid addition must not be used to hide a fraud,

c)        Mineral acid addiction it is forbidden,

d)       The acid(s) used must satisfy the prescriptions of the International oenological Codex.

Recommendation of the OIV:

Admitted for aromatised wines, beverages based on vitivinicultural products and wine-based beverages.

II.6.1.7 Chemical deacidification

Definition:

Lowering of titration acidity and real acidity (pH increasing) of aromatised wines, beverages based on vitivinicultural products and wine-based beverages by means of potassium tartrate, potassium hydrogen carbonate, calcium carbonate containing, if necessary, small amounts of double calcium L-tartaric and L-malic acid salt.

Objectives:

Developing aromatised wines, beverages based on vitivinicultural products and wine-based beverages with balanced taste properties.

Prescription:

a)        The process of double salt formation (neutral double calcium salt of tartaric and malic acids) aims at a further decrease of titration acidity, since wine is very rich in malic acid content and precipitating of tartaric acid alone is not efficient enough,

b)       Acid addition must not be used to hide a fraud,

c)        The products used must satisfy the prescriptions of International oenological Codex.

Recommendation of the OIV:

Admitted for aromatised wines, beverages based on vitivinicultural products and wine-based beverages.

II.6.1.8 Filtration

Definition:

Physical process in which aromatised wines or wine-based beverages flow through filters that trap suspended particles or substances in solution or materials in colloid state.

Objectives:

a)        Obtain transparency of aromatised wines, beverages based on vitivinicultural products or wine-based beverages, if necessary by means of sequential steps

b)       Obtain biological stability of aromatised wines, beverages based on vitivinicultural products or wine-based beverages by micro-organism elimination,

c)        Obtain physic-chemical stability.

Prescription:

Filtration can be performed:

a)        by alluviation, with appropriated aids like diatomaceous earths, perlite, cellulose…,

b)       on plates made of cellulose or other suitable materials,

c)        on organic or mineral membranes, including semi-permeable membranes.

Filtering materials must meet the prescriptions of the International oenological Codex. If materials not included in the International oenological Code are used, they must not, in any case, contaminate aromatised wines, beverages based on vitivinicultural products or wine-based beverages, so to cause a risk to human health.

Recommendation of the OIV:

Admitted for aromatised wines, beverages based on vitivinicultural products and wine-based beverages.

II.6.1.9 Gum arabic treatment

Definition:

Addition of arabic gum to aromatised wines, beverages based on vitivinicultural products and wine-based beverages.

Objectives:

a)        Avoiding copper casse,

b)       Protecting aromatised wines, beverages based on vitivinicultural products and wine-based beverages against light iron haze,

c)        Avoiding the precipitation of substances like dyes that are in colloidal form.

Prescription:

a)        Arabic Gum must be added to aromatised wines, beverages based on vitivinicultural products and wine-based beverages after the last filtration, or just before bottling

b)       Arabic Gum must meet the prescriptions of the International oenological Codex.

Recommendation of the OIV:

Admitted for aromatised wines, beverages based on vitivinicultural products and wine-based beverages.

II.6.1.10 Charocoal treatment

Definition:

Treatment with oenological charcoal by addition or by passage in column.

Objectives:

Giving to aromatised wines, beverages based on vitivinicultural products and wine-based beverages the desired specific organoleptic characteristics.

Prescription:

a)        The used charcoal must meet the prescriptions of the International oenological Codex

b)       The maximum dose of dry charcoal that is admitted is equal to 200 g/hL of wine or must

Recommendation of the OIV:

Admitted for aromatised wines, beverages based on vitivinicultural products and wine-based beverages.

II.6.1.11 Partial dehydratation of wines

Definition:

Wine concentration by water removal.

Objectives:

Increasing the alcoholic strength and the structure of aromatised wines, beverages based on vitivinicultural products and wine-based beverages.

Prescription:

a)        The target can be reached through several techniques, called subtractive enrichment techniques, provided by the International oenological Code

b)       The final alcoholic strength of aromatised wines, beverages based on vitivinicultural products or wine-based beverages must respect minimum and maximum limits fixed by its Definition in this Code.

Recommendation of the OIV:

Admitted for aromatised wines, beverages based on vitivinicultural products and wine-based beverages.

II.6.1.12 Cryoconcentration

Definition:

A method of concentrating base wines by means of freezing and physical removal of ice thus formed.

Objectives:

Increasing the volumetric alcoholic strength and the structure of aromatised wines, beverages based on vitivinicultural products and wine-based beverages.

Prescription:

The alcoholic strength of aromatised wines, beverages based on vitivinicultural products and wine-based beverages must meet minimum and maximum limits reported in its Definition.

Recommendation of the OIV:

Admitted for aromatised wines, beverages based on vitivinicultural products and wine-based beverages.

II.6.1.13 Refermentation

Definition:

Addition of fermentable sugars and monitoring of fermentation by means of selected yeasts.

Objective:

Increasing the alcoholic strength and causing capture of foam.

Prescription:

Fermentable sugars used for fermentation must be included in the list of permitted sweetening substances section A) (see II.6.1.1. Sweetening).

Recommendation of the OIV:

• Aromatised wines: not admitted
• Beverages based on vitivinicultural products and wine-based beverages: admitted

II.6.1.14 Mixing of white wines or musts with red wines or musts

Definition:

Mixing of white wines or musts with red wines or musts.

Objectives:

Adjusting the final colour of aromatised wines, beverages based on vitivinicultural products and wine-based beverages

Obtaining the desired colour of aromatised wines, beverages based on vitivinicultural products and wine-based beverages.

Prescription:

Controlling the conditions of tartaric stability and transparency of obtained products.

Recommendation of the OIV:

Admitted for aromatised wines, beverages based on vitivinicultural products and wine-based beverages.

II.6.1.15 Carbon dioxide use

Definition:

Addition of carbon dioxide.

Objectives:

a)        Protecting aromatised wines, beverages based on vitivinicultural products or wine-based beverages against oxidation by displacing oxygen

b)       Making aromatised wines, beverages based on vitivinicultural products or wine-based beverages into sparkling products.

Prescription:

Carbon dioxide must meet the prescriptions of the International oenological Codex.

Recommendation of the OIV:

Admitted for aromatised wines, beverages based on vitivinicultural products and wine-based beverages.

II.6.1.16 Tartaric stabilization by cationic exchange

Definition:

Process during which the base wine flows through a column filled with polymeric resin reacting as undissolvable polyelectrolyte and whose cations can be exchanged with cations of the surrounding environment.

Objective:

Obtaining tartaric stability of aromatised wines, beverages based on vitivinicultural products and wine-based beverages:

a)        face to face of potassium hydrogen tartrate,

b)       face to face of calcium tartrate (and other calcium salts).

Prescription:

a)        Treatment should be limited to the removal of excess cations.

b)       Treatment should be applied by using resins regenerated by acid cycle.

c)        A wine-making expert or a specialized technician should supervise all operations.

d)       Resins must meet the International oenological Code Prescription and must not cause excessive changes in the physico-chemical composition and sensorial properties of wine.

Recommendation of the OIV:

Admitted for aromatised wines, beverages based on vitivinicultural products and wine-based beverages.