FOSS announce positive results from an international validation test of the global standard calibrations supplied with OenoFoss(tm), a new analyser allowing instant quality control of grapes and wine. The calibrations for grapes under fermentation and wine were tested for repeatability and accuracy against standard reference methods with respect to routine testing requirements.
Wine calibration tests have been completed at laboratories in France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Argentina, Australia and in USA. In each case, the calibrations have been found to be within acceptable levels of repeatability and accuracy. The validation results give winemakers an assurance that the measurements they make with their OenoFoss are as reliable for routine control purposes as those from a laboratory in their local winemaking region and thus an attractive alternative to laboratory analysis.
FOSS wine market manager, Christian Harpsoe said: "Wine producers can rely on the OenoFoss for their local region because the calibrations are based on a vast amount of data collected from thousands of samples around the world - you can just plug in the instrument and start analyzing." Further validation tests are in progress in the USA, Slovenia, Greece, Hungary, South Africa and Portugal. Application notes explaining the procedure involved in making the OenoFoss calibrations are available from FOSS. OenoFoss was launched in March 2008 and has received an enthusiastic welcome from wine producers with units already sold in 20 major wine producing countries.
OenoFoss meets a growing demand from wine producers for rapid and easy-to-obtain information in support of decisions such as when to pick grapes, how to control fermentation or when to bottle. Traditional analysis involves various items of analysis equipment and takes time, for instance, it can take around 20 minutes to measure a single quality parameter. In contrast, OenoFoss gives winemakers key information quickly. It measures main quality parameters of grape must, must under fermentation and wine within two minutes from a single drop of a single sample. Up to seven parameters are measured: sugar, pH, total acid, glucose/fructose, malic acid, ethanol, volatile acid and colour. The results are displayed on a computer screen.