Multi Parameter Wine Analyser
The CDR WineLab provides tests to monitor the winemaking process from the vineyard to the bottling plant
Quality control for winemakers
Rapid, accurate wine testing alternative to external labs
Faster analysis, correlates with reference methods
Disposable reagents, no hazardous chemicals
Chemical Analysis of Wine
The CDR WineLab is a highly capable piece of equipment for any winemaker or wine testing laboratory. The WineLab measures multiple parameters in grapes and wine including determination of alcohol percentage. It allows the winemaking process to be monitored in real time, so that winemakers can choose the most appropriate oenological strategies for production.
Using the CDR WineLab for a few targeted analyses can change the outcome of a harvest, with real time measurements leading to faster decisions, fewer corrections and prevention of defects.
- YAN in must to prevent sulfur-related defects and ensure regular fermentation
- Gluconic acid at intake to detect Botrytis infections and safeguard downstream quality
- Catechins during pressing to guide press cuts and define targeted treatments
- Lactic acid for early confirmation of malolactic fermentation (MLF) onset
- Malic acid to verify the progress of MLF
- Volatile acidity for regulatory compliance and microbiological stability
Reference Methods
The WineLab wine analysis methods show excellent correlation with traditional reference methods and provide an alternative to measuring alcohol percentage from density. Simple to use, the analysers software guides the user step by step through the wine tests and pre-filled reagent vials simplify sample preparation. The WineLab is a photometric analyser that produces accurate results with no need for calibration, reducing the need for reference or contract testing.
Try Before You Buy
The WineLab is available for a demonstration or a short term trial.
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Parameters – Acetic Acid, Alcohol Content, L-Lactic Acid, L-Malic Acid, Citric Acid, pH, Free & Total SO2, Glycerol, Acetaldehyde, Total Sugar, Glucose and Fructose, Anthocyanins, Polymerised Anthocyanins, Total Polyphenols Index (TPI), Polyphenols, Intensity & Tonality, Yeast Assimilable Nitrogen (YAN), HCI Index, Gluconic Acid, Malolactic Fermentation, Copper, Catechins and Calcium
“The CDR WineLab wine analyser is a great tool to have in a winery, especially when you can’t wait for the analysis results to come back from an external lab. It is easy to use, quick and has a good spectrum of parameters you can check”
Andrea Bontempo, Renegade Urban Winery
“Normally, to perform a volatile acidity test in the lab using the traditional method, it took 20 minutes to get a result. Now, with CDR WineLab, I can get the same result in just six minutes. This saves me time and the company money. The CDR WineLab fulfills a great need I have for immediate results in the lab.”
Kristine Overlaur, Winemaker, Chapin Family Vineyards
WineLab
Callaway Winery
Bellangelo Winery
Wine Tests
Acetaldehyde
Acetaldehyde is a by-product of yeast metabolism that is formed during alcoholic fermentation. Its formation depends on the fermentation conditions, including a too low fermentation rate. Acetaldehyde causes an organoleptic defect and it binds the SO2 causing a decrease in molecular SO2. Molecular SO2 is an antioxidant and has an antiseptic action in wine and must.
Acidity
The total acidity of the wine is the sum of its titratable acidities when it is titrated to pH 7 against a standard alkaline solution. Carbon dioxide is not included in the total acidity.
Calcium
Calcium levels at values of around 70 – 80 mg/L expose wines to tartaric instability. The chemical analysis of calcium is therefore very important to avoid the precipitation of calcium DL tartrate in the bottle. The precipitation of this salt is an increasingly frequent phenomenon due to an increase in the concentration of Ca2+ in the must following the phenomenon called cClimate change. The testing of calcium in the must also assumes considerable importance in the treatment of the must with potassium DL tartrate (Oeno 42/2000) with which it is possible to reduce the calcium content in the must, thus significantly reducing the risk of tartaric instability of the wine.
Copper
The must always contains relatively high doses of copper deriving from downy mildew treatments. It is well known that excess copper is reduced during the fermentation process. Sometimes the copper level can drop too low, especially in white wines. This low copper content in the bottle can lead to known reduction problems that arise when uncorking with the typical sulphurous smell, which causes significant commercial problems for the winemaker.
Gluconic Acid
Musts and wines from grapes affected by grey mould may contain varying concentrations of gluconic acid depending on the severity of the attack. In fact, the enzymatic action of mould on grapes results in the generation of gluconic acid due to the oxidation of glucose. This situation leads to deterioration of the health status of the must and possible difficulties in triggering of alcoholic fermentation.
Malolactic
By analyzing L-Malic acid and L-Lactic acid, it is possible to assess the correct progress of the malolactic fermentation.
pH
This parameter influences the vinification and conservation of wine. The range of pH value is approximately 3.00 – 4.00, even if there is no legal limit.
Sugars
Glucose and fructose are the sugars that play the most important role in the production of ethanol during the fermentation of yeasts. By determining the amount of total fermentable sugar, the sum of glucose and fructose, it is possible to assess the correct progress of fermentation.
Acetic Acid
Acetic acid, often referred to as volatile acidity, can be produced by several yeasts and bacteria present in wine. It may form during fermentation, secondary production or during storage due to the deterioration of finished wine.
Alcohol
Alcohol content is the measurement of ethanol content in an alcoholic beverage. In wine it constitutes an important quality parameter.
Citric Acid
Citric acid occurs naturally in must and its concentration decreases during fermentation. It is a compound that can contribute to improve the organoleptic characteristics of the finished wine, which is why it can be used as an additive, but by law the content may not exceed 1g/L.
Galacturonic Acid
Together with gluconic acid, uronic acids such as galacturonic acid and glucuronic acid are products that form in botrized grapes and that combine sulphur dioxide therefore lowering the level of free SO2 with the same added metabisulphite. Knowing the concentration of these compounds, both in red and white wines, is therefore very important in order to establish the most suitable oenological protocol.
Glycerol
The presence of polyhydric alcohols determines, in wine, enveloping sensations, also called roundness, which dictate the softness of the wine. Among the polyalcohols which are formed during the fermentation there are mannitol, sorbitol, butylene glycol and glycerol. The latter is particularly interesting because the wine can be present with values ranging between 5-18 g/L and is also produced in large quantities by noble rot during the production of passito wines. This explains the softness and elegance of this type of wine.
Nitrogen
Yeast assimilable nitrogen (YAN) is a test to help manage correctly the alcoholic fermentation. Nitrogen deficiency can cause a slowdown or even stoppage of the fermentation, which seriously affects the quality and organoleptic characteristics of wine. YAN is the sum of two contributing substances, the inorganic nitrogen present in the wine as ammonium ion and the organic nitrogen present in the α-amino form (amino acids). YAN analysis checks the concentration of the two components separately allowing the possibility of carrying out with high accuracy, the necessary corrections before and during alcoholic fermentation. The kit for the organic nitrogen component is selective for the α-amine to the exclusion of proline. In fact, this amino acid, present in high doses in the must, does not contribute to the improvement of fermentation because is not metabolized by yeast. The CDR method for YAN is more accurate than the number of formalin, which partially intercepts the proline. The inorganic nitrogen test is selective for the ammonium and it allows the possibility of adjusting the amount of ammonium sulfate / hydrogen phosphate ammonium to add in the must.
Polyphenols / Micro-Oxygenation
Anthocyanins are chemical compounds present in the peel of grapes, whose colour changes depending on the acidity of the surrounding environment. They are part of the polyphenol group. In addition to significantly influencing colour (depending on the variety of grapes), they protect the grapes from sun radiation. Anthocyanins are scarcely soluble in must and water, but very soluble in the alcohol produced during fermentation. The colour of the wine depends therefore on the degree of maturation of the species of wine and the duration of the peel-juice maceration.
Sulfur Dioxide
Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is used in oenology mainly as preservative, but also for other purposes (for example for antiseptic, antioxidant, antioxidasic, solubilizing, combining and clarifying functions). Part of the SO2 that is added as potassium metabisulfite to musts and wines undergoes a series of reactions. Therefore, after a short period of time, most of the sulfur dioxide reacts with some of the substances present, binds with them and forms addition compounds (combined sulfur dioxide) that are unable to express the typical properties of unbound molecules. Therefore, only the part that does not combine (free sulfur dioxide) plays an important role in preserving wine from oxidizing alterations and from some micro-organisms. This test can be used to determine the fraction of free SO2.
How It Works
Features
Innovative Technology
The use of innovative photometric technology means the reading cell guarantees high sensitivity, a very wide measuring range and excellent repeatability of the analysis results thanks to innovative LED light sources with fixed wavelengths (ultraviolet – visible spectrum, power up to 6 O.D.).
Online Help
The system is easy and intuitive, everyone can use it. Analyses are carried out in just a few steps. In addition, it has a help function that guides you step by step through the test procedures.
Multitasking Mode
The multitasking mode reduces analysis time by making it possible to perform several analyses of the same sample simultaneously, or different determinations of the same parameter on a batch of different samples. During an analysis session you can start another one and put the first one in the background. You can return to background analysis with one click.
Internal Memory
The analyser is equipped with an internal memory capable of storing thousands of analysis results that can be viewed on the display or exported via the USB or Ethernet port.
Barcode/QR Code Reader
The analyser connects with barcode or QR code readers. The sample code is automatically displayed on the analyser. It is possible to associate all the analyses performed on that sample.
PC/Intranet Connection
You can share analysis results by connecting the analyser to your intranet via the Ethernet port or export them by connecting the analyser via the USB port to a host computer.
Maintenance/Service Free
No calibration is necessary because the instrument is supplied pre-calibrated. The analysers use LED light sources and therefore no periodic maintenance is required.
Multitiple Sample Analysis
Multitiple Parameter Analysis
Download Literature
Timing of the Harvest
Sugars, acidity, pH, L-malic acid, YAN, and gluconic acid should not be considered as isolated values, but as complementary indicators to be read together for a more complete overview of the grape’s condition.
Phenolic Maturity of Grapes
In order to obtain maximum extractability of phenolic compounds during vinification, it is not sufficient to check the technological maturity, but it is necessary to measure the concentration of anthocyanins in the proximity of maturation.
Malolactic Fermentation
L-lactic acid enzymatic spectrophotometry is the best method to detect the starting steps of malolactic fermentation because the standard HPLC analysis is influenced not only by the L-lactic acid but by its D isomer.
Analysis of Sugar
The WineLab allows a precise assaying of the actual fermentable sugar content during alcoholic fermentation via an easy, fast and reliable method based on enzymatic analysis.
Specification
WineLab
Samples Analysed Simultaneously: 16
Storage of Results: Suffcient internal memory for storing thousands of analysis results in CVS and XML files compatible with all database formats (e.g., XLS, SQL)
Photometric Module: Up to 6 wavelengths in 4 reading cells
Incubation Module: 37 ° C thermostated block with 16 positions
Barcode/QR Code Scanner Connection: Bluetooth
Connectivity
1 USB port type B for transferring the performed analysis database, configuration and software update, PC connection
1 USB port type A for technical service and computer connection
1 Ethernet port (LAN) for connection to intranet
Bluetooth 4.0
Printer: 80 mm wide printer with integrated graphics
Dimensions: 32 x 29.5 x 13 cm (W x D x H)
Weight: 2.80 kg
Power supply: 24 V
WineLab Junior
Samples Analysed Simultaneously: 3
Storage of Results: Suffcient internal memory for storing thousands of analysis results in CVS and XML files compatible with all database formats (e.g., XLS, SQL)
Photometric Module: Up to 6 wavelengths in 4 reading cells
Incubation Module: 37°C thermostated reading block with 3 positions with incubation function
Connectivity: 1 USB port type B for transferring the performed analysis database, configuration and software update, PC connection
Printer: Wireless connection for external printer
Dimensions: 15 x 22 x 8,3 cm (W x D x H)
Weight: 0.80 Kg
Power Supply: 24 V or optional lithium-ion battery