Engineers Develop 'Micro Winery' Producing Wine Non-Stop

American engineers are developing a micro-device that enables the uninterrupted production of wine, according to the press release of the Federal Polytechnic School in Lausanne.

Daniel Attinger and his colleagues hope that their invention will enable winemakers to better understand the process of fermentation which has a great impact on the quality of wine.

"Climate change is having an impact on the quality of grape crops around the world," he said. "Due to the heat, some crops ripen too quickly, the harvest takes place sooner and the wines end up with a higher alcohol content or a different taste. We need to find ways to analyze and adapt how the wine is made," Attinger said.

"Micro winery" uses very small quantities of liquid and produces a few milliliters of wine per hour, which allows to quickly test various flavors and types of wine. Grape juice flows through a main channel of the device. The yeasts are located in nearby compartments and flow into the main channel through an ultra-thin membrane with nanopores.

The yeasts then absorb sugar and produce alcohol and carbon dioxide giving them off through the membrane.

In 2015, researchers found that the yeasts and not a type of grapes, climate or weather conditions play a key role in the uniqueness of national wines. The yeasts have genetic features which are specific to each geographical area and thus affect the flavor of a particular type of wine.