FAREWELL TO CONTROVERSIAL SULPHITES - Terroir.mk

Thanks to "Chestwine", soon will be easier to sulfite-free wine.

​A Portuguese start-up this year launched the marketing of a chestnut flower powder with the same antioxidant and antimicrobial effects as SO₂. In France, the product has been tested since this harvest in three Bordeaux estates.

MK

North-East of Portugal, 2017: researchers from the University and the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança file a patent for the use of tannins from male chestnut flowers as wine preservatives.
2019: consultant for several vinho verde producers who are successfully testing this alternative to sulfur dioxide (SO₂), Philippe Ortega takes over the patent and creates the spin-off Tree Flowers Solutions with 3 partners.
June 2024: the start-upers have finalized the formulation of "Chestwine", transformed it from herbal tea to powder, verified that it meets the requirements of the Oenological Codex of the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV) and organic viticulture, and finalized its production process. Marketing is officially launched.
According to Tree Flowers Solutions, Chestwine's polyphenolic richness is at least as effective as SO₂ in inhibiting oxidation and microbial growth. "Chestnut tannins react with free and dissolved oxygen, and prevent the formation of aldehydes ," explains Philippe Ortega, assuring that unlike sulfites, Chestwine is not allergenic and has no effect on the taste or color of the wine.

"Chestnut tannins react with free and dissolved oxygen,
and prevent the
formation of aldehydes"

​Long-lasting stable wines
Implementation is very simple. "Just mix the powder in a 5-liter bucket of juice, return it all to the tank, and homogenize it ," illustrates Philippe Ortega. Tree Flowers Solutions recommends that winemakers add Chestwine during vatting, before malolactic fermentation, "without impacting bacterial activity,"  promises the company, during aging, and just before bottling. 

"Depending on the color, the health of the grapes, and the general hygiene of the cellar, it is necessary to add between 27 and 45 g/hL. At these doses, the wines remain stable for at least 60 months, the duration of our longest trials ," continues Philippe Ortega.

Tree Flowers Solutions already claims to have many customers in Portugal. In Spain too, Philippe Ortega is still benefiting from the network he built up during his 25 years as CEO of Pernod Ricard Bodegas. "The business is also starting in Italy where we are distributed by a winegrower ," he says. In France, three Bordeaux estates are testing Chestwine this harvest. We just have to wait for their feedback.

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