Enartis

Boost fining performance during the vulnerable stages after alcoholic fermentation.

In today’s winemaking landscape, producers face increasing challenges, from microbial contamination to oxidative reactions. Chitosan can step in as a powerful solution.

What is chitosan?

Chitosan is a natural polysaccharide obtained from the deacetylation of chitin extracted from Aspergillus niger.
Its use in enology has many applications in must and wine:

Microbial Control	Heavy Metal Chelator	Antioxidant	Clarifying Aid

It facilitates racking, enhances wine clarification, and removes metal cations including iron and copper which is crucial for preventing oxidation.

Research has proved that chitosan is also involved in decreasing Ochratoxin A, a toxin of fungal origin that can be found in grapes affected by microbial contamination.

What is activated chitosan?

Enartis chitosan is obtained by a unique production process that increases the positive charge and enlarges the contact surface area to boost its diverse activities.

Light microscope image of standard chitosan (left) and activated chitosan (right).

The Use of Chitosan in Winemaking
The greatest ally against microbial contamination.

Rising temperatures due to climate change are increasingly leading to an imbalance in grape ripening.

Consequently, this results in must and wine with high pH, making them more at risk of risk of microbial contamination (Brettanomyces, Acetobacter, Zygosaccharomyces, Pediococcus, Lactobacillus, and Oenococcus) and affecting final quality.

Moreover, as pH increases, the antimicrobial activity of sulfur dioxide is reduced, increasing the need for larger additions of this additive.

Enartis has developed a bioprotective solution powered by activated chitosan as an alternative to sulfur dioxide.

EnartisStab MICRO M is an activated chitosan product for total management of microbial contamination. It limits the growth of Brettanomyces, non-Saccharomyces yeast, and lactic and acetic bacteria in must and wine, and can delay or prevent malolactic fermentation (MLF). It is a valuable aid to detoxify must in cases of stuck fermentations.

Evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of EnartisStab MICRO M on the growth of Brettanomyces.

Chitosan as a Fining Agent: Highly Effective For Premium Quality Wines

Chitosan is widely used as a fining agent to promote and speed up the clarification of juice and wine. When used during fining, chitosan, a polysaccharide, is hydrolyzed into its disaccharide form.

Once the hydrolyzation of chitosan has occurred, the clarification activity is enhanced. Using the unique characteristics of activated chitosan, Enartis developed a variety of plant-based solutions to target different goals, both in must and wine.

PLANTIS AF-Q is pure pea protein activated with chitosan to enhance floc formation during flotation or settling. The synergy of these compounds and the high-density charge allows for maximum reactivity in removing metals that are responsible for oxidation reactions. This activity promotes wine shelf-life, boosting freshness and cleanliness in wine.

Percent metal reduction in white wine. The graph shows a comparison after treatment with 20 g/hL of PLANTIS AF-Q vs PVI/PVP.

Tasting comparison: Control sample vs gelatin treatment and pea protein with chitosan.

The synergy between the compounds in PLANTIS AF-Q also help improve sensory quality and increase wine shelf life, while being respectful of the aromatic profile. These powerful results are achieved due to a performance boost from chitosan.