Inquiring Winemaker

 

The Great Filtration Debate, Continued

November 2012
 
by Tim Patterson
 
The last time I devoted this column to the ongoing discussion about the merits of filtration (see “If Filtration ‘Strips’ Wine, What’s Getting Stripped?” in Wines & Vines’ October 2008 issue), the debate was at a standoff. Legions of artisan winemakers swore up and down that they knew from personal experience that filtration ripped the heart and soul and guts and wonderfulness out of wine. The science crowd, on the other hand, said they doubted this could be the case, since every known molecule of aromatic, flavor or textural significance was far too small to get trapped in even the tightest filter. Plus, filtration helps with clarity and microbial stability.
 

 
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