Volatile Acidity: What is it? and how do I stop it? Volatile acidity (VA) is defined as the steam distillable acids found in wines. Acetic acid is the biggest contributor to VA, but lactic, formic, propionic and butyric acid can also be culprits. Volatile acidity can plague any wine; changing the characteristics of wine from an award winner to vinegar in a matter of weeks. It not only effects the aroma and the flavor, but can also be illegal in high quantities. The bad news is that removing volatile acidity from a wine is costly and not 100% treatable, but the good news is that it is easily preventable. Let’s start with the basic microbiology to learn exactly what is going on in the wine: Microbial Level Acetic acid is typically the largest component of volatile acidity, it is caused by bacteria (Acetobacter aceti) that can be found everywhere: grape skins, fruit flies, barrels, and other surfaces in the cellar. The bacteria converts ethanol to acetic acid and produces
FOSS: Yes or No? We have received several questions from customers asking if we use a Foss, Oenofoss, or a Winescan. Our simple answer is no . Here at The Lab Pros we use primarily manual methods because they are the most accurate . We have used both the Oenofoss and Winescan in the past and found that they are great tools for large wineries and for monitoring general numbers in your wine, but they need a lot of extra care and attention. Both of these machines use FTIR technology (Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy) which operate using a spectrum of light to identify a substance. The use of FTIR is commonly practiced in research laboratories when identifying chemical compounds in a sample, but all FTIR machines need to be calibrated to correctly identify each chemical substance before use. Wine is an organic substance, and “impurities” vary from varietal, viticultural location, and vintage. Simply put, each individual wine is so vastly different on a chemical scal