Before wine reaches the bottling line, it undergoes a series of steps to ensure it is clear, stable, and ready for long-term storage. These include:
1. Stabilisation: Stabilisation ensures the wine remains consistent in the bottle to prevent unwanted changes after bottling. This can include cold stabilisation, where the wine is chilled to precipitate tartrate crystals, and chemical stabilisation to control microbial activity.
2. Blending and Adjustments: Many wines are blended not long before bottling to achieve the desired flavour profile and style. Adjustments to acidity, sweetness, or tannins may also be made to refine the wine’s balance, character and style.
3. Final Quality Checks: Before bottling, our Winemaker performs rigorous lab tests and sensory evaluations to ensure the wine meets our standards, and we are confident your favourite Altair Estate wine will wow you with each sip.
The bottling process involves several decisions, each of which can impact the final product:
· Preservation: Winemakers consider measures like nitrogen flushing during bottling to reduce oxygen exposure, preserving freshness and longevity.
· Timing: Wine should be bottled at the optimal stage of development, whether for immediate consumption or aging potential.
Modern automated bottling lines have revolutionised the process, offering precision, speed, quality control and scalability.
1. Cleaning and Sterilisation: Bottles are cleaned to remove contaminants before being sterilised internally with a hot rinse; they may be sterilised with steam, hot water, or gas to ensure they’re pristine.
2. Filling: Bottles move along the line to the filling station, where precision machinery dispenses the exact volume of wine into each bottle. Advanced systems minimise oxygen exposure
by blowing controlled amounts of inert gas, such as nitrogen or carbon dioxide, firstly into the empty bottle then immediately before closure application.
3. Closure Application: Screw caps are securely applied by machine. This step ensures an airtight seal to protect the wine.
4. Labelling and Inspection: Bottles are labelled with Altair Estate branding. Our Winemaker constantly checks for faults in label application, bottled damages and fill height to ensure each bottle is perfect.
5. Packaging: Bottles are packed into cases, sealed, and palletised for distribution. Each wine is hand packed into cartons before being stacked and mechanically wrapped on a pallet.
From Winery to Consumer
The bottling process is more than just packaging; it’s about preserving the winemaker’s art. By combining careful preparation, thoughtful decision-making, and advanced technology, wineries ensure every bottle captures the essence of their hard work and the story of their vineyard.