To Filter or Not to Filter?

Tim Vandergrift, who is Technical Services Manager for Winexpert, also writes a column in Wine Maker magazine. Anyone who has ever seen Tim speak at any of our events, knows his vast knowledge of wine. In the June-July issue, Tim writes about filtering your wine. Some benefits to filtering, you will be able to expect what the industry calls “star bright” wines. Long-term, you can look forward to greater stability. This is because there are issues with microbiological stability and with deposits or sediments in unfiltered wine. Filter, and you’re not likely to see any fall-out in your bottles over the medium ( 3 to 5 yrs) and much lower levels after that. Potential downsides to filtering — chance that you’ll introduce a contaminant or too much oxygen into the wine, causing infection or oxidation. Cleanliness is next to godliness. You cannot filter out colour — not any colour that wouldnt fall out on its own anyway. Post filtering, wine will taste notably less distinct & aromatic. This is “bottle shock” & the good news is it is temporary. Give the wine a rest & aromas & flavours will snap back. Never filter a wine too early. Filtering should be your own preference your tolerance for extra steps, & the attitudes of those who will be consuming the wine – in any case – filtering won’t hurt your wine in any way, & can help improve the aroma & maintain its appearance over time.