micro-oxygenation in contemporary winemaking - Cape Wine ...

Micro-oxygenation in Contemporary Winemaking2000; du Toit, 2007a). The volume of the tank is less critical than the height, and thetechnique has been used on a wide range of tank sizes. The diffuser is prone to fouling soit needs to be thoroughly cleaned between uses.Figure 1: Basic Components of a Micro-oxygenation SetupSource: (Parish et al., 2000)Internationally, the main suppliers of basic micro-oxygenation equipment include OenoDev(Vinovation, 2001b), Parsec (Parsec, 2008) and Stavin/Westec Tanks (Stavin, 2008). Themain distributor of micro-oxygenation units in South Africa is Reines Trading/Euroberry(Euroberry, 2008b) who are the local agents for Parsec. By mid 2008, Euroberry claimed tohave 23 micro-oxygenation clients in South Africa, including a wide range of producers -from bulk-producing co-operatives to premium quality estates (Euroberry, 2008a). Theequipment provided by the three different manufacturers differs mainly in the dosingcontrol. The OenoDev and Parsec machines are based on similar principles thoughOenoDev’s controller is electrochemical and measures the dose required in ml O 2 /Lwhereas Parsec’s units are microprocessor controlled and measure in mg/L (Table 4). TheStavin Ox Box is a more simple device that regulates oxygen flow which makes dosing alittle more complicated (Loch, 2002). A number of different models are available from eachsupplier according to the cellar’s needs - from small, manual devices that can be movedfrom tank to tank, to large built-in automated units that regulate micro-oxygenation inmultiple tanks at once (Table 4).20