INNOVATION
ZEOVIN investigates the use of zeolites to solve two problems at once: in the winery, as a substitute for bentonite to clarify white wines and remove excess copper and iron; and in the vineyard, as a soil amendment that improves nutrient retention and can also be applied foliarly. The zeolite becomes "loaded" with the metals it retains from the wine, and that load is then used to return them to the soil in a controlled way. A circular cycle.
PARTNERS
AIN·Bodegas Ochoa
WHY DO WE DO IT?
Bentonite is the most widely used clarifying agent in the world but it has an enormous hidden cost: it causes losses of between 5% and 10% of wine volume, indiscriminately removes aromatic compounds and generates waste that is difficult to manage. Globally, this equates to $1 billion worth of wine lost every year. In addition, we have copper and iron levels in our must that we want to reduce in a more natural way. Zeolites could solve all of this and fit perfectly with our philosophy of a sustainable winery.
OBJECTIVES
- An alternative to bentonite that better preserves the aromas and compounds of our white wines.
- Reduce copper and iron in the must more sustainably than current methods (PVI/PVP copolymers).
- A circular economy system: the "loaded" zeolite from the wine returns to the soil as a nutrient-rich amendment.
- Our own data from three harvests (2026, 2027, 2028) to validate the system before scaling it up.
