Interest is also very marked France and Spain

The column rotating tray is the best kept secret of Californian wine producers. Sutter Home is the single American producer to be procured this expensive désalcoolisation equipment. Officially, he goes to the production of the range without alcohol English Wines. In fact, very quietly, about 600 producers ConeTech services use. Based in Santa Rosa, North of San Francisco, this company is specialized in the désalcoolisation wine or, more politically correct way, "management of flavourings by adjustment of alcohol".

ConeTech makes him also with the technique of column rotating platters ("spinning cone column"). "Ripe grapes are more responsible in sugars, and it is not uncommon to find themselves with wines at 16, strong in flavour, but obscured by the prevalence of alcohol, says Tony Dann, the President of ConeTech.". Therefore to reduce the rate of alcohol to balance the wine.

The treatment of the wine by ConeTech aims in General to reduce their rate of about 1.5 degrees alcohol moving from 14.8 to 13.5 is a common example. The method is to treat a small portion of the production, around 10 on average, to reduce the rate of alcohol between 2 and 3. This wine very little alcohol is then blended with the rest of the production. The sole competitor of ConeTech Vinovation, a society of the region which uses another technology, osmosis reverse.

"The vast majority of our customers would never speak about it, and we are also bound by confidentiality with all agreements, noted Tonny Dann.". It is a question of image. Yet, they practice all the désalcoolisation, large houses and the most famous names. I do not propose wine whose alcohol was "adjusted" by us and who have won medals of gold or the Wine Spectator Award.

The silence

In fact, the law of silence is scrupulously respected. No producer did see fit to speak for this article, with one exception. "The current trend is to a questioning of the unbridled race towards still more alcoholic wines, and what the possible changes to make to the grape harvest and vinification process." "But in any case, it would be to submit wines to a process of transformation after the fermentation," said James Caudill, Director of communication of Fetzer, sixth largest wine producer, surprised, on his mobile phone.

In business for fifteen years in California, ConeTech expands its international presence. Since legalization, four years of the wine by the Chile désalcoolisation, ConeTech has 50 clients in the country. The South African law also allows this practice since this year and demand is high, provides Tony Dann, returning from a long journey on these new markets.

Interest is also very marked France and Spain. But it wasn't until 2008, and the integration announced by Brussels of the désalcoolisation to the Code of European wine making practices to develop the market. In the meantime, ConeTech engages in "experimental" projects with producers in France, where its subsidiary ConeTech Languedoc is seeking financial partners, and especially the United Kingdom, where "light" wine (less than 9 alcohol) will be launched next year..