Photo: Contributed

A Naramata man has invented a CO2-eliminating membrane that he claims will help Okanagan wineries make even better wine.

Dick Jones, a retired professor of medicine and amateur winemaker, believes his invention will allow wineries to keep more of the natural aromas in wine during fermentation – producing noticeably better-tasting wines.

He also believes his invention could sweep through the industry and spark a real improvement in the taste of many wines throughout the Okanagan and potentially around the world.

Jones says he’s pretty sure his new process is a winner.

“It’s very exciting. This could really add value to the wines we make here. I think it will help to bring more awareness of this region to the wine world,” says Jones.

This isn't his first breakthrough. Jones was a University of Alberta professor of pulmonary medicine for 35 years specializing in lung, cardiovascular and exercise physiology, and the inventor of nicotine nasal spray to help people quit smoking.

To come up with the CO2-scrubbing membrane, he conducted controlled experiments over three years, including blind taste tests by experts as well as chemical analyses of the wines by an independent professional researcher.

He took on the endeavour after noticing what he felt was a problem in his own home winemaking. The wine from his small vineyard smelled good, but the flavours were dispersed by the bubbling CO2.

“Up to 80 per cent of a wine’s most important aroma compounds can be lost with the CO2 during fermentation,” explains Jones. “I needed a membrane that selectively allowed the CO2 in the tank’s headspace to escape while leaving the aroma compounds behind.”

That made him think of the human body, which is specifically designed to keep the good and filter out the rest.

Jones found a membrane already being used in Norway to scrub CO2 from the smokestacks of coal-fired power plants.

“It acts like our lungs to get rid of CO2, it’s made of food-grade material, and it works at room temperature and pressure. It is perfect for a winery setting.”

The membrane’s inventor, Dr. May-Britt Hägg was enthused about the idea of using it to improve wine aroma and flavour, and she supplied membranes for Jones’ experiments.

After using the membranes to scrub the CO2 during fermentation and later bottling samples of each, the experimental wines were compared with the control wines in both an extensive taste-test and chemical analysis.

Paul Gardner and Julie Rennie, owners of Pentâge Winery in Penticton, organized a panel of 10 wine experts who blind-tasted and ranked the wines on seven key aroma and taste attributes.

All seven preferred the wine fermented using the membrane.

Samples of the wines were then analyzed at the University of B.C.’s Wine Research Centre, comparing their levels of dozens of aroma compounds.

“Overall, the taste-tests and laboratory analyses of the experimental wines proved that using the membranes vs. conventional methods left more aroma compounds, improved mouth feel, and retained fruit flavours in the finished product,” Jones says.

Jones and Gardner are now working at Pentâge Winery to use the membrane commercially.

“Until now the loss of aroma during fermentation has been accepted because there was no easy way to prevent it,” says Gardner. “But Dick’s membrane process makes total sense. The proof is in the pudding – this is definitely a superior wine. I don’t think it will be long before interest in this is worldwide.”

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