Biowaste Valorization: The Wine Industry Case

The wine industry is very important, the European wine production representing over 60% of the global production. According to the European Commission, the total annual wine production (2013-2020) in European countries reached a volume of 165 million hL. Europe is also the most important wine exporter occupying around 70% of the global market. In parallel, the wine industry produces a large quantity of biowaste that, in the context of a sustainable economy, needs to be valorized. In order to protect the environment, the landfilling of such biowaste has to be avoided due to its acidity and the possible generation of hazardous products by decomposition. On the other hand, vinification residues contain valuable compounds like: oils, polyphenols, tocopherols, and organic elements (carbon and nitrogen) making the valorization of these by-products compulsory. Ecological solutions for the valorization of grape seeds, grape skins, stems, as well as wine lees resulting from grape vinification have to be found. Different solutions for the processing of these biowastes to generate added value products are described and the economic aspects underlined.