Testing time decreases ten-fold for a commercial wine lab in Germany

Case Study Summary: Workflow Acceleration at Weinlabor Braun Using Discrete Analysis

Importance of the topic

Efficient, reliable analytical workflows are critical for commercial wine laboratories that must deliver large numbers of legally and commercially relevant parameters within short time windows during and after harvest. Faster, robust methods increase throughput, enable same-day reporting, and support regulatory compliance and product labeling for geographical indications. Transitioning from sequential chromatographic assays to discrete automated analysis can markedly reduce turn‑around time while maintaining precision for key quality markers such as organic acids and acetic acid.

Objectives and overview of the case study

- Document operational improvements at Weinlabor Braun, a certified commercial wine laboratory in the Pfalz region of Germany, after adopting Thermo Scientific discrete analyzers for routine wine analysis.
- Compare previous HPLC-based workflows with discrete analyzer performance for organic acid analysis and general sample throughput.
- Summarize practical outcomes including test speed, capacity, analytical performance, and planned method expansion (SO2 testing).

Methodology and used instrumentation

- Laboratory context: Weinlabor Braun analyzes ~10,000 samples per year (local cultivars include Riesling, Dornfelder, Silvaner, Pinot varieties, Chardonnay, Portugieser). Peak season (Oct–Apr) delivers up to ~120 samples/day for initial harvest checks (sugar, acetic acid, total acidity, alcohol) with follow-up tests for malic, lactic and tartaric acids after harvest. The lab is certified by the Chamber of Agriculture Rheinland‑Pfalz.
- Method change: Older HPLC assays for organic acids were replaced by a Thermo Scientific Gallery discrete analyzer; an existing Arena 20XT discrete analyzer remains in use. The discrete platform enables simultaneous measurement of multiple parameters in a single run.
- Measured analytes and planned additions: Organic acids (acetic, malic, lactic, tartaric) were moved to the discrete analyzer. The lab plans to add total and free sulfur dioxide (SO2) testing to meet legal limits.
- Operational claim: Running multiple parameters concurrently on the Gallery allows the laboratory to complete necessary analyses for a sample in roughly 30 minutes, enabling same‑day reporting for samples received before mid‑afternoon.

Main results and discussion

- Throughput and turnaround: The discrete analyzer workflow shortened effective testing time and improved same‑day reporting capability. Previously, HPLC workflows could require ~30 minutes per sample for a single test and sometimes necessitated overnight runs; the discrete system’s parallelization reduced total processing time, described by the vendor and laboratory as a substantial (reported up to ten‑fold) decrease in overall testing time for routine panels.
- Analytical performance: The Gallery provided precise and repeatable acetic acid measurements suitable for routine quality control. Reported calibration data and sample recoveries for dry wine matrices showed close agreement between calculated concentrations and theoretical values, indicating accurate quantification across tested levels.
- Capacity and flexibility: The Gallery’s capacity is comparable to the Arena 20XT; using both instruments gives the lab the flexibility to run multiple parameters simultaneously and modify test menus quickly in response to sample demands. The laboratory emphasized the importance of being able to change analyte sets on short notice.
- Practical impact: Faster reporting (same day if received before 16:00), consistent results for customers, and operational resilience during peak season were primary benefits reported by the laboratory.

Benefits and practical applications

- Increased sample throughput during harvest and post‑harvest periods, reducing backlog and enabling faster decision‑making for winemaking operations.
- Improved turnaround time supports regulatory labeling and compliance for regional designations.
- Automated discrete analysis reduces operator time per sample and minimizes the need for overnight instrument runs, which can lower labor costs and increase laboratory productivity.
- Flexibility to expand the test menu (e.g., SO2) and to run multiple analytes simultaneously improves service offerings for clients with diverse analytical needs.

Future trends and potential uses

- Expansion of discrete methods to additional wine analytes (total and free SO2, expanded organic acid panels) can further centralize routine wine quality testing on a single platform.
- Integration with laboratory information management systems (LIMS) and automated sample handling will further reduce manual steps and accelerate reporting.
- Continued method validation and inter‑laboratory comparisons will be important to harmonize results across regions and laboratories, particularly for legally constrained analytes such as SO2.
- Hybrid workflows that retain chromatography for complex or trace‑level analytes while using discrete analyzers for high‑throughput routine parameters are likely to become a common model for wine laboratories balancing speed and selectivity.

Conclusion

Weinlabor Braun’s switch from HPLC to a discrete analyzer platform for organic acid testing illustrates how targeted method replacement can substantially increase throughput, enable same‑day results during high‑demand periods, and maintain accurate, repeatable measurements for critical wine quality parameters. The combination of Gallery and Arena discrete analyzers provided the laboratory with both capacity and flexibility, and the lab plans to further extend capabilities to include SO2 testing. Ongoing validation and workflow integration will maximize the operational and regulatory benefits of the new analytical setup.

Used instrumentation

• Thermo Scientific Gallery discrete analyzer (primary instrument for organic acids)
• Thermo Scientific Arena 20XT discrete analyzer (existing capacity and parallel operation)
• Previous method: High‑performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for organic acids

Reference

Thermo Fisher Scientific. Case study: Weinlabor Braun — implementation of Gallery discrete analyzer for wine analysis. 2018.