Why Kegged Wine?

Free Flow Wines, the Wine On Tap pioneer and a premier provider of over 250 kegged wine brands, reveals that wine on tap is rapidly growing in popularity. In 2011, the company shipped just 7,200 kegs annually; today, they’re shipping more than 175,000. Here are the reasons why tapping into this booming market is a good investment.

Taste & Consistency Improvement

When it comes to kegging vs. bottling, there’s just no comparison! In just a matter of days, opened bottles of wine can change their flavor profile (sparkling wines become flat; white, sweet, and rosé wines oxidize and lose character; and red wines begin to sour and taste “vinegary”). This can lead to some very unsatisfied customers. Not so with wine by the keg, which tastes great and maintains its taste and consistency much longer than its bottled brethren.

Cost & Time Savings

Unlike kegged wines, old, bottled wine and wine compromised by heat due to improper storage need to be dumped down the drain, along with the dollars you’ve put into the purchase. But that’s not the only way kegged wine can save you money. Wine kegs also save bar and restaurant owners from paying the winery’s bottle, cork, carton, and labeling costs. “Since we’re not paying for the winery’s cost in bottles, corks, and labeling, I can serve the same glass of wine for $12 that might have been $15 or $16 if we were pouring it from a bottle,” says Nora O’Malley, the co-founder of New York City’s Lois, a restaurant serving only wine on tap.

Another advantage of wine on tap is that it’s a real time-saver. No longer do bartenders need to sort through an abundance of bottles – many of which look the same at a glance to find the right wine, nor do they have to spend time popping a stubborn cork. Instead, they belly up to the tap and pull the handle!

Sustainability Advantages

Last but not least, stainless steel wine kegs are the ultimate green package. Today, many bars and restaurants employ sustainable practices, reducing our human-made carbon footprints on the planet and its ecosystems. Serving wines in reusable steel kegs eliminates over 76% of a wine's CO2 footprint associated with transportation and packaging compared to glass bottles. "Wine on tap is not a trend,” says Kareem Massoud, winemaker at Paumanok Vineyards. “It is part of the broader mandate of sustainability that defines the age in which we live."

In addition to eliminating tons of packaging, stainless steel wine kegs are reusable for 30 years. Wondering how many pours are in a keg? Free Flow Wines reveals that one of their standard 19.5L kegs holds 26 bottles of wine, or 132 5-ounce glasses. With wine by the glass accounting for up to 80% of wine sold in restaurants (equaling approximately 600 million bottles per year), even just 10% from a keg would keep 60 million bottles out of landfills yearly! Plus, do you know who’s big into sustainability? That’s right, that millennial market you’re going after; they’re more likely to patronize an operation that looks out for the greater good.

Wine on Tap Best Practices

Now that we’ve made the case for kegged wine, let’s look at some best practices to ensure a perfect pour every time.

Wine on Tap Equipment

Wine kegs (along with couplers, faucets, and fittings) should be composed of 304 or 316-grade stainless steel. These are the most popular and widely used types of stainless steel because they provide excellent corrosion and rust resistance. If plastic components are involved, ensure they are FDA-approved. It’s recommended to use Barriermaster Flavourlock™ tubing, as it prevents oxygen permeation that can compromise wine quality. For long draw wine on tap systems, glycol trunk lines, and a power pack cooling system is ideal.

Keg Storage & Dispensing Temperature

Bottled wines must be stored differently: some at room temperature, others chilled. Kegged wines are no different. Here’s a good rule of thumb for their storage:

• Whites: store in the walk-in cooler and serve at 40–45° F
• Reds: store at room temperature, a maximum of 70° F, and serve at 55–60° F
• Sparkling: Chill kegs no less than 10-12 hours at 37° F prior to tapping, and set the kegerator to 34-40° F max

Gas Pressure Settings & Wine Flow

Gas, of course, propels wine out of the keg and through the lines; it also prevents oxidation, which can cause spoilage. The recommended pressure setting for direct draw kegs, such as a Micro Matic wine kegerator, is 4-10 PSI. To ensure accuracy, use a 0-15 PSI gauge.

To create the perfect pour for whites and reds, use a blended gas combination of 75% N2 and 25% CO2. This is sometimes referred to as “Guinness gas,” as it is also the gas combination used to dispense a keg of Guinness.

Sparkling wine uses 100% CO2. To create the perfect flow, start the gauge around 12 PSI. Increase slowly if needed. Too high a pressure results in a fast pour and no bubbles in the glass.

To adjust the wine flow, locate the gas regulator and adjust it. You’ll notice the change in pressure on the upper gauge.

Replacing the Gas Cylinder for Wine on Tap Systems

If the tank volume gauge reads less than 300 PSI, it will need to be changed. Here's how you can do it yourself:

• Turn off the gas by closing the valve at the top of the tank.
• Using a large wrench, unscrew the brass nut connecting the regulator to the tank.
  
• Pull out the old tank and replace it with a new one.
• Use a large wrench to securely tighten the regulator to the gas cylinder and open the tank valve. The applied keg pressure will register on the 0-15 pound gauge.

Wine Line Cleaning

As yeast, mold, and bacteria can build up in draft beer lines, damaging its taste, aroma, and appearance, dirty wine lines can also compromise the poured product. Line cleaning for kegged wines should be performed every three months or during a product change to ensure quality. Line cleaning laws vary from state to state, so you may want to speak with your keg wine distributor. Cleaning should include a caustic wash with a high pH and a citric acid wash with a low pH. Line cleaners from Micro Matic feature the latest surfactant, which reduces surface tension for fast, easy cleaning and a low-foam formula.

Looking to learn more about Wine on Tap? Visit our partner, Free Flow Wines, for best practices, operational tips, and industry-leading resources.