Using their patented Dynamic Cellular Disruption® (DCD®) extraction process and their Disruptor™ technology, the South African based bio-technology & IP company, that has been disrupting the world of food and beverage processing for a number of years, is processing red wine using the whole grape – skin, seeds, flesh and even the stalks – with a process they call Methode DCD™.
But why alter something that has worked well for such a long time? The answer lies in the numerous benefits to both producer and consumer that Methode DCD™ is able to command.
While founders Roy Henderson and Jan Vlok have always known that their technology has the capacity to create change and, great wines, they required a brave winemaker to take on a project that if successful, can reinvent winemaking. Meeting young winemaker Ryan Wyness, who produces some exceptional natural wines in the Western Cape and in the traditional way, has proved to be a winning combination.
When asked what he thought of Methode DCD™, Wyness confirmed he was highly sceptical, at first: “When I met Roy and he told me about the technology, it was a massive challenge for me to think out of the box. When I saw the grapes being mushed up and put through the process, I thought ‘what on earth am I doing here, it’s never going to work! But it has.”
Winemaking is essentially about extraction and manipulating the maceration process between the contact of the grape skins and the juice. Winemakers use a variety of traditional methods to promote extended extraction to obtain their desired result. These could range from ‘pumping over’, stainless steel or oak or rotary tanks, or even the old school ‘punch down’ – think stomping of the grapes after the vendange, a practice that continues today, although mostly for show, as ‘modern’ machinery does the job much better.
Benefits are plentiful:
Better still, is Methode DCD™. “With Dynamic Cellular Disruption® (DCD®), we are able to use the entire grape.” Said Roy Henderson, co-Founder and CEO. “In so doing, it reduces waste, increases yield, flavours and nutritional benefits - the grape seeds are emulsified into the wine itself up front - enhances colour and obviates the need for added chemicals as it inhibits unwanted micro. It also significantly reduces time and overall cost of manufacturing, removing the requirement for much of the existing equipment used in current processes.”
Further, Methode DCD™ speeds up the winemaking process. But as to maturation, those results will be released only in 2018, as the experiment (and the control – 1 000 kg of each) has only been on barrel for four months at the time of writing, and the team are reckoning on another 20 months before releasing to market. They will however keep some in reserve for further trials, as they believe that wines made using Methode DCD™ have the ability to last longer and therefore fetch higher prices.
From a technical perspective, in the ‘chemistry’ phase of the winemaking process Methode DCD™ manages the natural yeasts and moulds right up front. This minimises stuck fermentation risks and maximises inoculations allowing for the winemaking ‘artist’ to have an improved canvas on which to create their signatures. “Among many incredible benefits, I believe that what Green Cell Technologies has created is the number one solution for those cultivars that struggle with extraction, like Pinot Noir. It is also for winemakers looking to create lasting wines and those looking for grape concentrates to add to their wines to make something good much better,” says Wyness.
Timing is everything in winemaking. “In South Africa, we often encounter phenolic ripeness but not the right sugar content. Methode DCD™ allows for the grapes to be harvested earlier and get the same alcohol content but with a greater concentration of phenolic.”
Interim results:
DCD® treated grapes have the following effects on red winemaking:
- Instant extraction – as opposed to leaving the material to extract by osmosis over time
- Higher levels of Anthocyanins (double) - that include tannin, colour and flavonoids. Double the amount of polyphenol found in the post Methode DCD™grapes – fermentation analysis is key to this study as extraction forms an integral part of initial fermentation. Higher levels in tannin allow for wines with better anti – microbial properties.
- Higher levels of proteins - due to the inclusion of grape seeds. Proteins combine with colour pigments to make them more stablein solution. More nitrogen is available to yeast cultures, allowing for stronger ferments. An initial reduction in the yeast count allows for “cleaner” fermentation, i.e. less spoilage through unwanted yeast cultures.
- Higher levels of acid in post – fermentation analysis - have huge positive financial implications for winemaking as less artificial acid is necessary to rectify pH imbalances. This is especially significant in warmer wine growing areas like South Africa Australia, California (SA) etc, as added acid can stand out as being sharp or angular.
- Double the amount of oil extraction - takes place with the DCD®process providing the potential for health benefits as a result.
- More yield – depending on the cultivar and harvest time, we forecast up to 25% increase in yield with this particular study showing at least 15%.
In conclusion, Methode DCD™ processed wine has double the anthocyanin extraction vs traditional methods. An increase in proteins in combination with polyphenols and improved natural acid levels, result in a wine that has better structure and anti – microbial properties, and is cheaper to produce, providing broader markets for producers, while also having the potential to command higher prices.
Is there a market? The consensus from all involved, is Absolutely!
Actual laboratory numbers and results are available on request.
About Green Cell Technologies®
Green Cell Technologies is a global bio-technology and Intellectual Property development company specialising in formulating and building advanced solutions to world nutrition sustainability.
With a growing population and shrinking agricultural footprint, people are hungry and sick. Green Cell Technologies (GCT) overcomes the threat to food productivity through the use of its patented Disruptor machines and Dynamic Cellular Disruption (DCD) processes, which it sells under license to manufacturers and processors around the world. www.greencelltechnologies.com