Lodi Wine Laboratory certified for standards
Lodi Wine Laboratory’s Chief Operating Officer Matt DiVisconte is just as comfortable talking to customers as he is interacting with the lab technicians who keep the place buzzing with the sound of analytical equipment ever since it opened on Beckman Road in 2002.
The laboratory was recently certified by an independent third party for meeting the requirements of the International Organization of Standardization, a Geneva, Switzerland-based organization that sets various industrial, proprietary and commercial standards, including those for wine analysis.
They obtained the certification for fulfilling the requirements for ISO 17,025, which covers testing and calibration laboratories according to the ISO’s website.
This certification will help give credibility to the 15-year-old laboratory, assuring customers that they will receive the highest quality of service possible.
“We analyze all sorts of wine, from homemade to retail to commercial and so on. We primarily test for alcohol content, residual sugars and organic acids,” says DiVisconte, adding: “Every analysis has a set order of procedures and redundancies to help us deliver more accurate data to our customers.”
Clients bring in samples of their wines, generally between 50 milliliter to 100 ml per sample, which are first spun and filtered to remove any sediment. The samples are then tested for sulfur, preservatives, and alcohol content, as well as residual sugars, volatile acidity and malic acid, according to Laboratory Technician Amy Buechler.
“During the secondary fermentation process, malic acid converts to lactic acid. If the wine is fermented improperly, the remaining malic acid can affect the wine’s finish,” says Buechler.
The laboratory also sells the yeast and other supplies necessary to begin making wine or brewing beer at home, as well as offering classes on homebrewing on the third Saturday of each month all year around, and offers home winemaking classes after each year’s harvest.
“That’s probably one of my favorite parts, helping the customers learn how to make better beverages,” says DiVisconte.