Is sorbate needed for sweet wine?

[codeman]

If I filter using a .25 micron filter do I still need to use sorbate when sweetening a wine?
I don't think sorbate is cleared for use in commercial wines.
How do commercial wineries sweeten wine?

 

[kevinlfifer]

Without it you risk fermentation starting again in the bottle and popping corks. Quite messy.

 

[GreginND]

First of all, yes, you can use sorbate in commercial wines. The upper allowable limit is 1000 ppm (0.1%).

The larger commercial wineries do indeed do sterile filtration and have the equipment and ability to go from sterile filter directly to sterile bottling line to sterile bottles. Smaller commercial wineries have difficulty achieving this and a home winemaker would be very hard pressed to ensure every step is sterile.

 

[Runningwolf]

I agree mostly with what Greg said except for the fact that none of the equipment is sterilized but it is sanitized.

Listening to the professionals at Cornell and Penn State, they will all tell you sorbate has no place in the winery. If you are using a healthy dose of k-meta and filtering at .45 micron you do not need sorbate. I personally know numerous wineries doing this. With that said you have to be 100% sure you have zero contamination. The slightest bit of bacteria after the final absolute filter will deem you doomed. That includes hoses, bottling nozzle, corker or corks. I use protein swabs to check every bit of my equipment for contamination.

With all that said, I use sorbate!

 

[stickman]

I've always used a Filterite Duofine .2 micron nominal cartridge (not membrane) on my sweet Riesling, no sorbate, and never had any issues with re-fermentation etc. The wine was always star bright; some bottles in my cellar over 5 years old. As a home winemaker we can push the limits a little, but I realize that as a commercial winery you may want to be more careful.