UF/IFAS Researchers Help Wineries Capitalize on Carbonation Craving

University of Florida researchers are helping wineries make their product bubbly to meet taste trends and expand their business.

Andrew MacIntosh, Ph.D., a UF/IFAS assistant professor of food science and human nutrition, is working with Florida wineries to teach and encourage more of them to produce carbonated wine. About one in ten Florida wineries currently carbonate, and they use the labor-intensive champagne method. McIntosh is trying newer, less-expensive ways to make wine sparkle.

In his preliminary research, MacIntosh is studying equipment options such as pressurized vessels, inline carbonation options and counter-pressure bottling equipment for various-sized wineries.

“The effervescence from carbonation adjusts how it feels in your mouth, how sweet you perceive the wine and what it smells like,” MacIntosh said. “Sparkling wine is considered a ‘value added process’ as the product is typically perceived to be more desirable. This research will benefit the Florida wine industry as many statistics and trends illustrate how sparkling wine is the fastest-growing sector in the wine industry. The increased consumption of carbonated wines throughout the world — especially among younger generations — has been steadily increasing and driving market growth.”

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