Œnoppia is an internationally minded association grouping together the producers of oenological products. General œnologists or specialists in a particular field, the member companies of Œnoppia have a common profession : that of developing, producing and marketing œnological products.
Wine is the product of the vine and of Man… it involves transforming a raw material, the grape, into a stable, healthy consumer product. It is a complex transformation, both biological (micro-organism intervention) and chemical (reactions between molecules). Two principal phases are involved: fermentation and stabilization. For successful transformation, Man has always used additives. Some of the oldest stabilizing techniques dating back to Ancient Rome include adding spices, honey or seawater to wines.
Today, the range of stabilising techniques is of course different. Above all, the aim is to respect the flavour of the wine. Œnological products and practices provide the means to control fermentation and stabilization phenomena. They play an essential role in the gustatory, visual and health qualities of a wine, aiming to promote the best possible expression of the grapes’ qualitative potential.
Œnology, “the science that deals with wine” is an ancient science, the word having been recorded as early as 1636. With his work on yeasts, Pasteur was the first to expose a modern oenology, founded on the understanding of fermentation phenomena. Since, science has never ceased to take an interest in wine.
Dozens of universities throughout the world, as well as private Œnoppia member laboratories, work on micro-organisms in wine, on its aromatic compounds, its phenolic structure and colour, its polysaccharides, its contaminants…
Œnology is the science of wine, both specific and pluridisciplinary, bringing into play molecular chemistry, micro-organism biology, physics, sensorial analysis…
Knowledge of the wine constituents and understanding the phenomena involved during vinification are the grounds for developing œnological products that are perfectly consistent with the nature of the wine and wine makers’ objectives.
Œnological products have a wide variety of origins :
Within the scope of oenological practices, oenological products essentially allow wine defects to be prevented (oxidation, bacterial contaminations, tartaric precipitations, biogenic amine formation, aromatic deviations, protein haze…) and consequently promote optimal expression of the wine’s quality in the glass.
In addition to their suitability for use with food-stuffs, œnological products are subjected to particular qualitative specifications (purity, respect for the wine…) by the International Œnological Codex, issued by the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV). Wine is the only food product with an intergovernmental organisation (50 member countries) of a scientific and technical nature.