> > wrote in message
> ups.com...
>
> Hi Bob,
> Why do you even bother to filter? People have been making wine for
> thousands of years without filtration; myself, for instance! :-)
> Seriously, what are you gaining? Pardon my ignornace, but I just don't
> get it.....
>
> Bob<><

Bob,

Indeed people have been making wine "for thousands of years without
filtration".... or without commercial yeast, potassium metabisulfite, PVPP,
hydrometers, acid test kits, corks, bottles, etc, etc. One can make wine
simply by crushing grapes in a container and waiting a few weeks.
Nothing more is needed. But, the "wine" probably won't look very pretty,
and the taste may not be great. Wine made this way certainly won't keep
very well.

Properly done, filtration can do several things for a wine.
(1) It makes "clear" wines brighter and gives them more sparkle.
(2) It can produce a sterile, stable product with minimum damage to the
wine.
(3) It is a fast, convenient way of eliminating or minimizing some unwanted
materials from the wine such as polyphenol macromolecules, colloidal carbon,
etc.

In short, filtration can often improve the appearance, smell, taste, or
stability of a wine. All unfiltered wines will have better appearance after
a proper filtration. Loosing half a point for "appearance" often makes the
difference between a gold medal and a silver medal. I am a slow learner,
and it took me 30 years to discover how difficult it is to produce gold
medal wines without a good filter.

Of course, many wines don't need filtration to improve smell, taste or
stability, and if you feel your wines don't need a perfect appearance, then
you can get by without a filter.

Regards,
Lum
Del Mar, California, USA