Technical Bulletin - Wine Trade Risk Management
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WINE TRADE RISKS
Expansion of global trade has resulted in increased international wine shipments to foreign markets, as well as increased domestic imports. These wine shipments cover the full cost spectrum from ultra premium bottled wines to bulk wines shipped in large storage containers. In addition, domestic producers routinely buy and sell wine on the bulk market.
There are inherent risks when wine is bought and sold. It is not unusual for claims to be filed alleging changes in a wine between the initial tasting and the final receipt of the wine. Common complaints are damage that occurred during shipment, claims regarding the integrity of a wine, microbial spoilage, or sulfide off aromas.
ETS Laboratories offers groups of analytical parameters to help avoid potential problems that may occur when purchasing and selling wine:
PRE-SHIPMENT ANALYSES
The greatest threat to wines during shipment is excessive heat or cold damage. Depending on the temperature that wine is subjected to, physical evidence of damage may not be obvious or easily determined. In extreme cases, corks push causing capsule damage, with leakage evident, indicating an excessive temperature event. In less obvious cases, there may be no physical evidence of damage, but the wine may be irreversibly harmed.
In situations where there is no obvious evidence of damage to the wine or packaging material, it is often difficult to quantitatively determine the extent of damage that has actually occurred. Parameters often used to detect temperature induced damage, such as color, phenolics, sulfur dioxide and dissolved oxygen have a wide range of acceptable or observed values. Without an undamaged “control” wine from the same lot for comparison, it is usually difficult to provide conclusive evidence that damage occurred during shipment.
ETS Pre-shipment Analyses provide a baseline prior to shipping. Post shipment analysis will enable direct comparison to the baseline pre-shipment results, providing quantitative evidence of changes in temperature sensitive parameters. Information from the comparative analysis can provide the evidence needed for a conclusive resolution to a claim.
PRE-SHIPMENT ANALYSIS
WINE INTEGRITY ANALYSIS
Four parameters difficult to manipulate
Parameters that may change due to handling but can be predictable
Often a buyer will question if a wine received in shipment is the same wine they agreed to purchase. There are certain parameters in wine that used together provide a unique fingerprint of the wine. Some of these parameters are difficult to manipulate, and a pre-purchase analysis of the wine can be used to generate a chemical “fingerprint” of the wine. In situations where integrity is questioned the initial analytical data can be used for comparison against the results obtained on receipt of the shipment.
WINE STABILITY ANALYSES
Another potential problem during shipment or shortly after receipt is wine spoilage. Analytical screening enables a risk assessment to help determine spoilage potential. Wines can be screened for the presence of spoilage microbes and their associated chemical metabolites, along with conditions hospitable for their growth. In addition, wines can be screened for off aroma compounds that are present but below threshold perception. Analysis of wines prior to purchase provides baseline data enabling a buyer to define contractually acceptable ranges for these parameters in order to accept or reject a shipment.
WINE STABILITY ANALYSIS
Microbiological Screening
Chemical Screening
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PTB025-Wine Trade Risk Management |
Expansion of global trade has resulted in increased international wine shipments to foreign markets, as well as increased domestic imports. These wine shipments cover the full cost spectrum from ultra premium bottled wines to bulk wines shipped in large storage containers. In addition, domestic producers routinely buy and sell wine on the bulk market.
There are inherent risks when wine is bought and sold. It is not unusual for claims to be filed alleging changes in a wine between the initial tasting and the final receipt of the wine. Common complaints are damage that occurred during shipment, claims regarding the integrity of a wine, microbial spoilage, or sulfide off aromas.
ETS Laboratories offers groups of analytical parameters to help avoid potential problems that may occur when purchasing and selling wine:
- ETS Laboratories Pre-shipment Analyses
- Wine Integrity Analyses
- Wine Stability Analyses
PRE-SHIPMENT ANALYSES
The greatest threat to wines during shipment is excessive heat or cold damage. Depending on the temperature that wine is subjected to, physical evidence of damage may not be obvious or easily determined. In extreme cases, corks push causing capsule damage, with leakage evident, indicating an excessive temperature event. In less obvious cases, there may be no physical evidence of damage, but the wine may be irreversibly harmed.
In situations where there is no obvious evidence of damage to the wine or packaging material, it is often difficult to quantitatively determine the extent of damage that has actually occurred. Parameters often used to detect temperature induced damage, such as color, phenolics, sulfur dioxide and dissolved oxygen have a wide range of acceptable or observed values. Without an undamaged “control” wine from the same lot for comparison, it is usually difficult to provide conclusive evidence that damage occurred during shipment.
ETS Pre-shipment Analyses provide a baseline prior to shipping. Post shipment analysis will enable direct comparison to the baseline pre-shipment results, providing quantitative evidence of changes in temperature sensitive parameters. Information from the comparative analysis can provide the evidence needed for a conclusive resolution to a claim.
PRE-SHIPMENT ANALYSIS
- Detailed package inspection
- Sensory evaluation
- Color Profile
- Red Wine Phenolic Panel
- Free and Total SO2
- Potential and Actual Ethyl Carbamate
WINE INTEGRITY ANALYSIS
Four parameters difficult to manipulate
- Wine density - unique to a wine because it is a factor of all of the wine components
- Copper - all wines contain copper in relatively stable amounts
- Iron - all wines contain iron in relatively stable amounts
- Calcium - all wines contain calcium in relatively stable amounts
Parameters that may change due to handling but can be predictable
- Phenolic profile - (more useful in red wines)
- Wine Chemistry Panel - TA, pH, are all relatively stable VA, Free & Total SO2 volatile components may be influenced by handling
- Ethanol - may be influenced by handling
- Glucose/Fructose - may be influenced by microbial activity
- Malic Acid - may be influenced by microbial activity Esoteric but still useful information for characterizing a wine
- Higher alcohols and fusel oils
- Color Profile
- GC oak aroma
- Side by side sensory comparison
Often a buyer will question if a wine received in shipment is the same wine they agreed to purchase. There are certain parameters in wine that used together provide a unique fingerprint of the wine. Some of these parameters are difficult to manipulate, and a pre-purchase analysis of the wine can be used to generate a chemical “fingerprint” of the wine. In situations where integrity is questioned the initial analytical data can be used for comparison against the results obtained on receipt of the shipment.
WINE STABILITY ANALYSES
Another potential problem during shipment or shortly after receipt is wine spoilage. Analytical screening enables a risk assessment to help determine spoilage potential. Wines can be screened for the presence of spoilage microbes and their associated chemical metabolites, along with conditions hospitable for their growth. In addition, wines can be screened for off aroma compounds that are present but below threshold perception. Analysis of wines prior to purchase provides baseline data enabling a buyer to define contractually acceptable ranges for these parameters in order to accept or reject a shipment.
WINE STABILITY ANALYSIS
Microbiological Screening
- Scorpions Combined Spoilage Panel
- Scorpions Bottle Fermentation Panel
- Scorpions Bottle Sterility Panel
Chemical Screening
- VA, TA, pH
- Free & Total SO2
- Biogenic amines
- 4-EP/4-EG
- Sulfide analysis
- Heat stability (white wine)
- Cold Stability (white wine)
- Potassium Concentration Product
- Glucose/Fructose
- Malic
- Ethanol
- Acetaldehyde
- Haloanisoles
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