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1446 Industrial Ave. Sebastopol, CA 95472
+1 (707) 824-7905

FLASH DÉTENTE

FOR RED WINE COLOR & STRUCTURE

WINEMAKING CHALLENGE: UNCONTROLLABLE ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

If environmental factors threaten your quality or stylistic consistency, you need to intervene before your ferment starts.  You can’t change the conditions, so change the grapes with Flash Détente.
Rain and cold weather hampered ripening
We need more color than this block usually gives us
We have sunburn, botrytis, and mold
Brush fire smoke has blanketed our vineyard
  • If you retain green, vegetal flavors associated with under-ripeness, your wine may not be acceptable decision makers.
  • If the wines show smoke taint after fermentation, then selling the finished product could be challenging or unprofitable.
  • If you ferment fruit with living mold, you risk laccase and its associated color loss or other spoilage during and after fermentation.
  • Flash will improve color extraction and concentrate the resulting must or juice by as much as 10%.

WINESECRETS CAN GUIDE YOU THROUGH THESE CHALLENGES.

You can employ our Flash Détente to address problems that come in with the grapes. Here is how it works:

  • Grapes are heated to 175-185 ᵒF then immediately pumped into a vacuum chamber where flash vaporization of water inside the vacuoles of the grapes skins causes the vacuoles to explode, releasing all of the pigments contained within.

Your wine, extracted with Flash Détente has the following qualities:

  • This complete release of color precursors replaces traditional maceration. Flashed wines have on average, 30% more color and improved structure.
  • The vapor which flashes from the grapes carries away undesirable grape volatiles, including vegetal methoxy-pyrazine.
  • Flash extracts color and phenolics while minimizing skin contact, eliminating smoke taint, laccase from botrytis or other unwanted characteristics from deposited environmental factors.
  • Your must is sterile, ready to be inoculated.
  • You may press off skin fragments and seeds, and ferment the liquid phase as you would a white wine to conserve tank space.
  • Fermentation is rapid, as there is no need to increase contact time.

Winesecrets’ mobile flash détente unit can process 1 ton per hour of distressed grapes. With this efficient thermal vinification technology:

  • Green flavors and aromas are flashed off, removing unwanted characters
  • Laccase is denatured, eliminating the issue of botrytis on fruit
  • Up to 30% more color is available from “Flash” treated grapes
  • Outlet of the flash détente is immediately pressed so the highly extracted juice can be treated like a white wine; barrel fermented or cold fermented to capture volatile aromas usually lost in red fermentations.

Winesecrets has been guiding winemakers through this technology since 2011.  We can offer you a large-facility technology at a small-winery scale.  The benefits of choosing to work with us include:

  • Direct experience in producing finished wines with this technology.
  • Artisan-scale system, capable of processing lots as small as one ton enable you to explore the technology without a large commitment of hi-priced fruit.
  • Our Flash is portable, allowing you to utilize this technology in your own winery.

Winesecrets has conducted Flash Détente on over 2,500 tons of grapes throughout North America and can serve as your gateway to the benefits of Flash Détente. Our highly trained, professional staff will help bring more color and flavor from our grapes into your wine.

THE WINESECRETS DIFFERENCE

Winesecrets’ Flash Détente system is one of only 6 in CA and the only mobile system. The process offers incredible flexibility to winemakers with suboptimal grapes or a chance to experiment with unique wine styles.
Winesecrets has conducted Flash Détente on over 2,500 tons of grapes throughout North America. Our highly trained, professional staff can guide you through the process at your winery or at our central location in Sebastopol, CA.
CONTACT US FOR YOUR FLASH DÉTENTE NEEDS

Ready to take the first step? By filling in the request below, we will begin the process of preparing a customized solution to your winemaking challenge. Our team of professionals is ready to share decades of wine production knowledge with you. We love a challenge! And will do our best to ensure you are realizing superior results.