Spinning Cone Column

The spinning cone column (SCC) is a specialized dealcoholization technology that processes liquid in thin films on rotating conical discs under vacuum, enabling ethanol removal at extremely low temperatures (below 30°C). It is considered the gold standard for preserving delicate aromatics in wine dealcoholization.

The spinning cone column was originally developed in Australia by the CSIRO in the 1980s for concentration of fruit juices and extraction of volatile flavors, before being adapted for wine dealcoholization. Its operating principle involves a vertical column filled with alternating stationary and rotating cones. Liquid is fed from the top and spreads into a thin film on rotating cones by centrifugal force; the thin film dramatically increases surface area, enabling rapid ethanol evaporation at low temperatures under vacuum.

The two-pass SCC process for wine is elegant: the first pass at very low vacuum removes the volatile aroma fraction (captured and stored cryogenically); the second pass at higher vacuum removes the bulk ethanol. The dealcoholized wine is then recombined with the captured aroma fraction, producing a product with the original aromatic fingerprint but reduced alcohol. This makes SCC uniquely effective for high-quality varietal wines where aromatic precision is paramount.

SCC technology is licensed and manufactured by Flavourtech (Australia) and operated under license by major dealcoholization facilities globally. Its adoption has been a key driver of the quality improvement in dealcoholized wine since 2015. Producers like Torres (Spain), Carl Jung (Germany), and Edenvale (Australia) have built reputations specifically around SCC-processed products.

An engineering detail that surprises many: the spinning cone column can process wine at flow rates of up to 2,000 liters per hour at temperatures that would not kill the most heat-sensitive aromatic compounds — making it not only qualitatively superior but also commercially scalable for large wineries. Its main limitation is cost: installations run to several million euros for a full industrial setup.