The Ramón Bilbao and Martín Códex Wineries, the company Prilux Iluminación I+D and VITEC are studying how to prevent exposure to light from damaging the aroma and colour of wines through LED technology
- The R+D project RETASTELED investigates sustainable and innovative technological solutions to face the possible photochemical deterioration of these wines at the level of aroma and colour
- Trying to develop new light sources (LEDs) to mitigate the defects that prolonged exposure to conventional light can cause in bottled wines, especially in clear glass
- Ramón Bilbao, Bodegas Martín Códax, Prilux Iluminación I+D and VITEC (Centro Tecnológico del Vino) are developing this project with the financial support of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities
The RETASTELED R&D project is investigating the development and application of new LED technologies to address the possible photochemical degradation (known as ‘taste of light‘) that can affect, in particular, white, rosé and sparkling wines when exposed to conventional ultraviolet-visible light. The characteristic organoleptic effects of the taste of light can mainly affect aroma and colour. Consequently, unpleasant aromas may appear (cabbage, onion, wet wool and garlic). The development of these aromas is usually accompanied by a loss of freshness and the fruity aroma of the wine, which could in turn generate sudden changes in its colour.
By installing these LED’s in wineries and on the sales shelves, the RETASTELED project proposes to develop sustainable and innovative technological alternatives that will put an end to these undesirable photochemical transformations, which are capable of diminishing the organoleptic quality of the wines.
The Rioja-based winery Ramón Bilbao is leading this industrial research project in which three other partners linked to the world of wine and lighting are also participating: Bodegas Martín Códax (Galicia),Prilux Iluminación I+D (Castilla La Mancha) and VITEC- Centro Tecnológico del Vino (Catalonia). In turn, the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MICINN), in its Call for Proposals for Collaboration Challenges 2017, is financing this innovative initiative with a budget of over 750,000 euros, via the State Innovation Agency.
Objectives of the Project
RETASTELED plans to replace, in warehouses and shopping centres, the current conventional sodium lamps with lights using LED technology. These are much more intense and have a much lower electricity consumption, which will also allow the wineries to optimize their production costs and be more sustainable. On On the other hand, for producers and marketers, it is intended that the new LED lights do not emit in the critical wavelengths for the reduction of riboflavin, (between 370 and 442 nm). This molecule, also known as Vitamin B2, is the precursor and responsible for the taste of light in wines.
In this sense, the main objective of the project is to develop new light sources (based on LED technology) for application in the wine industry, in large retail outlets and distribution chains. The replacement of the current light sources with lighting that does not affect the quality of the wines is a current technological challenge, the resolution of which can also bring clear environmental and energy-saving benefits.
For this reason, the possibilities offered by industrial development in the lighting technology sector, together with the importance of the wine sector in the agro-food industry, highlight the relevance and interest of the RETASTELED project. Without a doubt, this initiative will contribute to a better positioning of Spanish companies and wineries worldwide, while at the same time it will have a high and positive socio-economic and environmental impact.
About the RETASTELED project:
RETASTELED is an R&D project that aims to study the application of new LED technologies to address the photochemical degradation that white, rosé and sparkling wines can suffer when exposed to UV-visible light. In this way, it aims to develop sustainable and innovative solutions in the winery and on the sales shelves, in order to put an end to the photochemical transformations that alter the colour, taste and aroma of these wines.
Bodegas Ramón Bilbao is leading this industrial research R&D project in cooperation with three other partners linked to the world of wine and lighting: Bodegas Martín Códax (Galicia), Prilux Iluminación I+D (Castilla La Mancha) and VITEC- Centro Tecnológico del Vino (Catalonia). The Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MICINN), through the State Innovation Agency, is financing this innovative initiative with a budget of over 750,000 euros, within the framework of the Call for Proposals for Collaboration Challenges 2017. RETASTELED is scheduled to last three years, ending in December 2021.
