Any process which changes the character of the wine to the extent inconsistent with good commercial practice is not permitted on bonded wine premises. The processes listed in this section are approved as being consistent with good commercial practice for use by proprietors in the production, cellar treatment, or finishing of wine, juice, and distilling material, within the general limitations of this section: Provided, That when the specified use or limitation of any process on this list is determined to be unacceptable for use in foods and beverages by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the appropriate TTB officer may cancel or amend the approval for use of the process in the production, cellar treatment, or finishing of wine, juice, and distilling material.
Processes Authorized for the Treatment of Wine, Juice, and Distilling
Material------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reference or
Processes Use limitation------------------------------------------------------------------------Electrodialysis............... To aid in the This process must not
removal of alter the vinous
tartrates. character of the
wine.Elimination of sulfur dioxide To reduce the Use of a physical
by physical process. sulfur dioxide process to remove
content of juice. sulfur dioxide from
juice must not alter
the basic character
of the juice so
treatedIon exchange.................. Various Anion, cation, and
applications in non-ionic resins,
the treatment of except those anionic
juice or wine: resins in the
mineral acid state,
may be used in batch
or continuous column
processes as total
or partial treatment
of wine, provided
that with regard to
juice or finished
wine;
1. Such treatment
does not alter the
fruit character of
the juice or wine.
2. The treatment does
not reduce the color
of the juice or wine
to less than that
normally contained
in such juice or
wine.
3. Treatment does not
increase inorganic
anions in the juice
or wine by more than
10 mg/L.
4. The treatment does
not reduce the
metallic cation
concentration in the
juice or wine to
less than 300 mg/L.
5. The treatment does
not reduce natural
or fixed acid in
grape wine below 4 g/
L for red table
wines, 3 g/L for
white table wines,
2.5 g/L for all
other grape wines, 4
g/L for wine other
than grape wine.
6. Treatment does not
reduce the pH of the
juice or wine to
less than pH 2.8 nor
increase the pH to
more than pH 4.5.
7. The resins used
have not imparted to
the juice or wine
any material or
characteristic
(incidental to the
resin treatment)
which may be
prohibited under any
other section of the
regulations in this
part. The winemaker
may employ
conditioning and/or
regenerating agents
consisting of water,
fruit acids common
to the wine or juice
being treated, and
inorganic acids,
salts and/or bases
provided the
conditioned or
regenerated resin is
rinsed with water
until the resin and
container are
essentially free
from unreacted
(excess)
conditioning or
regenerating agents
prior to the
introduction of the
juice or wine. 21
CFR 173.25.Metal reducing matrix sheet To reduce the (1) The active
processing. level of metals ingredient,
such as copper polyvinylimidazol,
and iron in wine. must not constitute
more than 40% by
weight of the sheet.
(2) Use of the sheet
must not
significantly alter
the color of the
wine.Nanofiltration................ To reduce the This process must use
level of permeable membranes
volatile acidity which are selective
in wine (used for molecules not
with ion greater than 150
exchange). molecular weight
with transmembrane
pressures of 250 psi
or less.Osmotic transport \1\......... For alcohol (1) Use must not
reduction. alter the vinous
character of the
wine
(2) None of the
stripping solution
may migrate into the
wine.Reverse osmosis \1\........... To reduce the Permeable membranes
ethyl alcohol which are selective
content of wine for molecules not
and to remove greater than 500
off flavors in molecular weight
wine. with transmembrane
pressures of 200 psi
and greater. The
addition of water
other than that
originally present
prior to processing
will render standard
wine ``other than
standard.'' Use
shall not alter
vinous character.Spinning cone column \1\...... To reduce the Use shall not alter
ethyl alcohol vinous character.
content of wine For standard wine,
and to remove the same amount of
off flavors in essense must be
wine. added back to any
lot of wine as was
originally removed.Sulfide reducing matrix sheet To reduce the (1) The active
processing. level of ingredient,
sulfides in wine. polyvinylimidazol,
must not constitute
more than 40% by
weight of the sheet.
(2) Use of the sheet
must not
significantly alter
the color of the
wine.Thermal gradient processing... To separate wine The fractions derived
into low alcohol from such processing
and high alcohol shall retain vinous
wine fractions. character. Such
treatment shall not
increase the alcohol
content of the high
alcohol fraction to
more than 24 percent
by volume. The
addition of water
other than that
originally present
in the wine prior to
processing will
render standard wine
``other than
standard.''
To separate juice The low Brix fraction
into low Brix derived from such
and high Brix processing may be
juice fractions. used in wine
production. The high
Brix fraction
derived from such
processing shall not
be diluted with
water for use in
wine production.Thin-film evaporation under To separate wine Use shall not alter
reduced pressure \1\. into a low vinous character.
alcohol wine Water separated with
fraction and alcohol during
into a higher processing may be
alcohol recovered by
distillate. refluxing in a
closed continuous
system and returned
to the wine. The
addition of water
other than that
originally present
in the wine prior to
processing, will
render standard wine
``other than
standard.''Ultrafiltration............... To remove Permeable membranes
proteinaceous which are selective
material from for molecules
wine; to reduce greater than 500 and
harsh tannic less than 25,000
material from molecular weight
white wine with transmembrane
produced from pressures less than
white skinned 200 psi. Use shall
grapes; to not alter vinous
remove pink character. 21 CFR
color from blanc 175.300, 177.1520,
de noir wine; to 177.1550, 177.1630,
separate red 177.2440, 177.2600,
wine into low and 177.2910.
color and high
color wine
fractions for
blending
purposes.------------------------------------------------------------------------\1\ This process must be done on distilled spirits plant premises.
However, reverse osmosis, under certain limited conditions, may be
used on bonded winery premises if ethyl alcohol is only temporarily
created within a closed system. (Sec. 201, Pub. L. 85-859, 72 Stat. 1383, as amended (26 U.S.C. 5381, 5382, 5385, 5386, and 5387)). [T.D. ATF-299, 55 FR 24989, June 19, 1990, as amended by T.D. ATF-312, 56 FR 31081, July 9, 1991; T.D. ATF-350, 58 FR 52232, Oct. 7, 1993; T.D. ATF-371, 61 FR 21079, May 9, 1996; T.D. ATF-409, 64 FR 13683, Mar. 22, 1999; T.D. TTB-17, 69 FR 67644, Nov. 19, 2004]