POTASSIUM FERROCYANIDE WINE TREATMENT: A CONTROVERSIAL, YET NECESSARY OPERATION

Abstract

This  paper presents the  method of  iron  removal from wine by  using a  potassium ferrocyanide treatment, a  method implemented in  Romania by  oenologist Ştefan  Teodorescu, which  became official in  1973. Potassium  ferrocyanide  treatment  is  a  controversial  operation  that  poses  safety  and  environmental  protection problems, but is absolutely necessary for the efficient removal of iron from wines rich in this cation. Without iron removal, wines with over 10 mg/l of iron become susceptible to fearsome chemical defects, such as turning whiter, darker or bluisher. The paper presents a case study for the white wine Fetească Regală, obtained in the Recaş vineyard, harvested in 2016, in order to establish the theoretical and practical doses of potassium ferrocyanide based on microprobes, to remove the iron up to the safety threshold (4 mg Fe total/l of wine). The conclusions of the paper include some “good practices†for the success of the treatment and the prevention of toxicity problems.