1. NATURAL GRAPE JUICE ELABORATION (NFC)
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1) Reception of grapes. Grapes are supplied by farmers in trailers, from which we take samples to determine their sanitary state and sugar content, and are then unloaded onto hoppers.
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2) Destemming-Crushing. Stem is removed and the grapes are pressed lightly. The equipment consists of a perforated rotating drum where the grapes are trapped by the holes and are hit in order to release the stem, two rollers rotating in the opposite direction from each other, manage to press the grapes.
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3) Draining the must. The paste is introduced in the macerator or draining tanks where, by the pressure exerted by the weight of the grapes, we get flower (1st Grade) must from which we elaborate natural SO2-Free Juice.
The draining must then falls to the underground reservoirs where it is pumped to tanks for clarification. The pulp goes through a dewiner and then is pressed.
We add sulphur to the must in order to ensure its stability until we transform it in concentrate grape juice or rectified grape juice concentrate.
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4) Cooling. The sulphited must is cooled through a heat exchanger to approximately 10 º C.
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5) Clarification. It takes place in stainless steel tanks inside a cooling chamber to 8-12 º C.
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6) Tangential flow filtration. The juice is clarified and filtered through tangential filtration equipment with a 0,2 µm pore (nominal diameter).
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7) Homogenization. To avoid problems of oxidation and/or fermentation the must is mixed through the injection of nitrogen from the bottom of the tank.
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8) Sterile filtration. The juice is filtered through a 1 micron filter and then 0,45 micron filters which are those who hold the yeast and lactic acid bacteria, among other micro organisms, which may be present in the must.
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9) Cooling. To ensure conservation, after sterile filtration, the juice is cooled again until 2 ºC, approximately.
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10) Storage. The juice is stored in previously sterilized aseptic stainless steel tanks.
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11) Expedition. Transport should be done in isothermal tank and the temperature of the grape juice cannot exceed 5 º C.
2. GRAPE JUICE CONCENTRATE ELABORATION
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1) Reception of raw material. The raw material used is the sulphited must that came from our own production or that was purchased from several suppliers. The juice is stored in stainless steel tanks. For the production of concentrate, 1st Grade must is used, that is to say, those that have been obtained by gentle pressure of the grape.
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2) Clarification. Generally using bentonite. This clarifying agent is effective for the retention of proteins that the tangential filter cannot separate and that can cause turbidity problems through the formation of conglomerates during the evaporation stage.
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3) Tangential flow filtration. The clarified must is filtered through a tangential filter.
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4) Desulphitation. Once the must is filtered properly, it must be subjected to a process of desulphitation to remove excess sulphur added for the initial preservation.
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5) Evaporation. The juice is concentrated by evaporation at low temperature and vacuum pressure to minimize damage to product quality. The equipment used for this operation is a 6 effect evaporator.
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6) Tartaric stabilization. The juice concentrate is stored in a stainless steel tank where it is kept at a temperature between 30 and 35 º C for at least 48 hours to allow the formation of potassium bitartrate crystals that will accumulate at the bottom of the tank.
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7) Cooling. The juice is cooled to approximately 10 º C, by means of a tubular heat exchanger and scraper.
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8) Storage. The juice is stored in stainless steel tanks inside a chilled room, being maintained at a temperature between 8 and 12 º C. These deposits also have a nitrogen inertization system on the upper part to avoid possible.
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9) Expedition. The juice is delivered in isothermal tanks, metal or plastic drums, plastic bottles
3. DEIONISED GRAPE JUICE CONCENTRATE ELABORATION (MCR)
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1) Reception of raw material. The raw material used is the sulphited must that came from our own production or that was purchased from several suppliers. The juice is stored in stainless steel tanks until it is used.
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2) Clarification. . The must is clarified to facilitate tangential filtration and to remove protein compounds.
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3) Flow filtration. This is an important process because once passing through the ion exchange resins, the product should not contain any solid in suspension.
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4) Rectification. This process is also called deionization, since all components of the must that are in their ionized form are removed from it by using ion exchange resins, resulting, finally, in an aqueous solution of glucose and fructose, the sugars from the grapes.
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5) Cold storage. The rectified must is stored in tanks inside a chilled room to be subject to the process of concentration.
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6) Evaporation. The rectified must is concentrated by vacuum evaporation at low temperature.
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7) Storage. The storage of deionised grape juice is done in stainless steel tanks.
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8) Expedition. The product can be shipped in tankers, plastic containers, drums…