Control of alcoholic fermentation in winemaking: Current situation and prospect

Winemaking fermentations aim to optimise product quality, which is very difficult to quantify. Control over fermentation kinetics generally has direct technological advantages, in terms of tank use optimisation in the winery and control over energy expenses for the regulation of temperature and is generally a prerequisite for controlling the characteristics of the wine. How new technologies can assist the winemakers to elaborate wines with predefined characteristics and improve process performances as well as hygienic properties? On-line fermentation monitoring is one promising way because: (i) it is much more accurate than manual measurements and (ii) it makes possible new control strategies with an optimal control tank by tank. Later, preventive control, based on modelling of the fermentation process, may be possible. New processes, such as cell immobilisation, may also be used as well as methodologies in the domain of data management and knowledge based systems.