A new precision wine technology is changing how winemakers address quality challenges and recover value from fault-affected and heavily phenolic wines.
amaea, a New Zealand developer of custom-engineered molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs), is gaining industry validation for its novel molecular filtration technology for precision wine remediation and palate fining.
From premium winemakers in New Zealand to top-tier producers in California, amaea’s selective, sustainable filtration solution, launched in late 2023, is being used to remediate and enhance wine quality.
The proprietary MIP beads, imprinted with billions of binding sites, selectively target and capture unwanted molecules– such as pyrazines, ethyl phenols, and phenolic compounds responsible for sensory profiles– and remove them while preserving the wine’s essential varietal character, colour, and flavour.
“Winemakers face real challenges when unwanted, characteristics or impacts appear in their wines, that traditional methods cannot resolve,” says amaea CEO Aiden Tapping.
“Our molecular filtration solution gives them control to target and remove the compounds responsible for undesirable sensory profiles – without stripping away desirable characters.
“This recovers value, saves wine from being downgraded or discarded, and ultimately protects brand integrity.”
Wines tainted by “off aromas”, such as those caused by stink bugs or pyrazines, as well as wines that require significant bitterness management, pose a major financial challenge for producers globally.
Over the past year, amaea RMx technology for remediating ‘off’ aromas and wines impacted by frost, pyrazines, Brettanomyces, MOG and other challenges, and amaea PFx technology for palate fining, have supported over 50 unique producers in treating more than 400,000 gallons/ 1.5 million litres of wine, helping them recover an estimated USD$3.5 million/ NZD$6.2 million in wine value in the past 12 months.
Giesen used amaea PFx in place of gelatin (a fining agent), to address bitterness in their 0% Merlot.
“Typically, when you remove alcohol from wine, certain traits and characteristics start to stand out,” says consulting winemaker Duncan Shouler (former Director of Winemaking at Giesen Group).
“For Merlots, the tannins become prominent, and the warmth and sweetness are lost. For palate fining, gelatin is traditionally added, which, though effective at softening phenolic content, isn’t vegan-friendly and isn’t entirely selective, which means it removes more than is intended.
“At Giesen, when introduced to amaea PFx, we saw a technique that enabled us to balance polyphenols without relying on animal additions; it was environmentally conscientious and had the potential to provide a more financially sustainable alternative to traditional fining practices.”
Tapping says It’s fantastic to see the consistent validation from the industry, highlighting the versatility and value of the technology.
“We’ve focused on giving some of the top winemakers the confidence to try our technology, even on small volumes,” he says.
“Now, on the back of customer success, we’re gearing up for an increase in the volume of wines treated by both existing and new customers as our technology gains market traction.”
How to catch up with The Shout NZ…
Online, updated daily with its own unique content and breaking news.
Our weekly newsletter – free to your inbox! Subscribe here.
We are also on Facebook and Instagram!
